LAHORE: A court in Pakistan on Friday directed President Arif Alvi to appoint another representative to administer oath to Punjab chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz after provincial governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema refused to administer it, local media reported.
Shehbaz, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, was elected as the new chief minister on April 16, during a chaotic session of the Punjab Assembly.
But Governor Cheema, a member of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, delayed the oath-taking a day later, saying he could not endorse an “unconstitutional action.”
Shehbaz filed a plea against the governor in the Lahore High Court (LHC), maintaining Cheema was not fulfilling his “constitutional duty.”
“[A] governor cannot refuse to administer oath,” Geo News channel quoted LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti as ruling in the short order.
“President of Pakistan should appoint another representative for the oath taking.”
The directives came after the court asked Cheema to present the reasons for not administering the oath, but he excused himself from administering it.
However, the chief justice remarked the governor could not deny performing his duties and issued the short order, according to the report. He asked the court office to dispatch the order to President Alvi.
Shehbaz described the LHC’s verdict as a “victory of the constitution.”
“A province of 110 million [people] was without a government for 21 days,” he said on Twitter. “First, the CM was elected under the court orders and now the constitution won regarding the oath-taking.”
Shehbaz said history would remember how the constitution and the law was ridiculed during this time. “Now this province will again be on the path of progress and prosperity,” he added.
Pakistan court orders president to appoint representative for Punjab CM-elect’s oath-taking
https://arab.news/86s4p
Pakistan court orders president to appoint representative for Punjab CM-elect’s oath-taking
- Hamza Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was elected as chief minister on April 16
- But Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema refused to administer oath to the chief minister-elect
Pakistan traders seek waiver of port charges on Afghan cargo after re-export approval
- Afghan transit trade stalled after border closure following last year’s skirmishes between the two countries
- Government’s re-export approval allows stranded Afghan cargo to be shipped out without entering Pakistan
KARACHI: Pakistani traders and logistics operators are calling for waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges incurred on Afghan transit cargo that remained stuck at ports after cross-border trade with Afghanistan came to a halt, according to a trade body statement issued on Saturday.
The appeal follows a government decision earlier this month allowing the re-export of stranded Afghan transit goods, after prolonged border closures prevented cargo from moving onward to Afghanistan, leaving containers immobilized at Pakistani seaports and border crossing points.
Afghan transit trade through Pakistan was disrupted following the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border due to skirmishes between the two countries in October last year, causing congestion at ports and triggering escalating detention and demurrage charges. Industry representatives say the situation imposed a substantial financial burden on importers, clearing agents and transporters, even though the goods were never intended for Pakistan’s domestic market.
“[We have] been actively engaging with the Directorate General of Transit Trade (DGTT), South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPT), and other port and terminal operators, including through formal representations, to seek waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges,” the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) said.
The chamber said it had taken up the matter of stranded Afghan transit trade goods with the Ministry of Commerce following a high-level meeting held on Jan. 10, after which the ministry issued a notification on Jan. 12 permitting the re-export of stranded cargo from the ports of Karachi and Gwadar and designated border crossing points.
PAJCCI said its coordinated engagement with government departments and terminal operators aims to ensure the re-export decision results in “practical relief on ground,” enabling the smooth clearance and movement of cargo while preventing further financial losses for the trade community.
Pakistan’s commerce ministry has not publicly commented on whether waivers on detention and demurrage charges will be granted.
