Pakistan Political Crisis: Court Reinstates Punjab CM

The Lahore High Court has restored Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab chief minister and his cabinet on the assurance that the provincial assembly would not be dissolved, suspending Governor Balighur Rehman’s de-notification order. The Governor issued an order in the wee hours of Friday to de-notify the chief minister and dissolve his cabinet after Elahi did not take a vote of confidence by Wednesday as ordered by the governor on Monday. Elahi challenged the governor’s order in court. During the hearing, he gave a written assurance that he would not dissolve the provincial assembly if he was reinstated as the chief minister. The court ordered that the operation of governor’s order would be held in abeyance till the next date of hearing and added that this order would not preclude the petitioner from taking vote of confidence on his own accord, according to The Express Tribune. After the order, Elahi and his cabinet were reinstated till January 11, the next date of hearing.