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 to send senior police officials for training at Beijing Police College
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visits a high-tech police training facility in Beijing
- He says Pakistani police will get professional training in line with modern requirements
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said the country’s senior police officials will undergo a one-month training program at Beijing Police College (BPC) based on modern, technology-based standards.
Naqvi, who is currently in China, visited the BPC to observe the high-tech training facilities of the Chinese police. He was given a tour of the campus, tested a state-of-the-art driving test simulator and was briefed on how modern technology is used to deal with protests, violent incidents and other crimes.
Pakistan and China have been strengthening police cooperation through joint training and technology sharing, aimed at enhancing modern policing skills and improving law enforcement effectiveness.
“All ASPs [assistant superintendents of police] of the National Police Academy will come to the Beijing Police College for one month of training,” he was quoted as saying in a statement circulated by Pakistan’s interior ministry.
“Pakistani police officers will also be provided education and professional training in line with modern requirements,” he continued. “In this regard, we will sign an agreement to enhance cooperation between the National Police Academy and the Beijing Police College.”
Naqvi was briefed on high-tech training using simulators and other advanced tools, including technology-based academic, practical and AI-driven training.
He was also shown a demonstration of an arrest by the vehicle squad of the Beijing Police.
“I am highly impressed by the professional capabilities and excellent training of the vehicle squad,” the minister said.
Earlier this week, Pakistan and China agreed to strengthen collaboration on counterterrorism and internal security, committing to regular meetings and greater coordination to protect Chinese nationals and projects amid ongoing militant threats.
The agreement was reached during talks between Naqvi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Xiaohong at the headquarters of China’s Ministry of Public Security in Beijing.
