ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee of the Punjab Assembly on Friday failed to finalize the appointment of a caretaker chief minister for the country’s most populous Punjab province, after which the matter is set to be referred to Pakistan’s election oversight body, local media reported.
The six-member committee with equal representation from the treasury and the opposition had only one day, Friday, to deliberate upon the nominations made by the outgoing chief minister Pervaiz Elahi and opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz.
As per Article 224-A of the constitution, the parliamentary panel had three days to select one of the four nominees, but due to a delay in the notification for the formation of the panel, the committee was left with only one day to mull over the names, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.
Former ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, and Hashim Jawan Bakht represented the ruling alliance in Punjab, while the opposition was represented by Malik Ahmad Khan, Syed Hassan Murtaza, and Malik Nadeem Kamran.
Elahi, the outgoing chief minister, had nominated Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and Naveed Akram Cheema for caretaker CM’s post, while Shehbaz had endorsed the names of PM’s special assistant Ahad Cheema and media mogul Mohsin Naqvi.
“Provided that in case of inability of the Committee to decide the matter in the aforesaid period, the names of the nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days,” the constitution says.
The developments come a week after the 17th provincial assembly of Punjab was dissolved on January 14. As per the law, the province has to elect a new legislature no later than April 14.
Both the chief minister and the opposition leader were initially required to forward three names to the governor within three days of the dissolution of the provincial assembly, which fell on January 17. But the chief minister and the leader of the opposition failed to agree on any name, after which they forwarded names of two nominees each to the parliamentary committee as per the constitution.
The matter will now be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after the parliamentary committee failed to finalize the name of the caretaker CM.
After Friday’s inconclusive meeting, Basharat told reporters that the nominees suggested by the treasury were the “best options if measured by any yardstick,” Dawn reported.
Malik Ahmad Khan, one of the opposition’s representatives, said that both nominations made by Elahi failed to meet the requirements laid down by the law.
“Sukhera was a dual national and under Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court (PLD 2019 SC 201) was disqualified to become a public officeholder. Likewise, being a serving bureaucrat he also holds an office of profit in the Service of Pakistan and could not become the interim CM under Article 63(1)(d),” Khan was quoted as saying.
“Naveed Akram Cheema has served as the chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission and Section 5 of the ordinance governing the working of the commission says that on ceasing to hold office, a member of the commission shall not be eligible for further employment in the service of Pakistan.”
Pakistan election regulator to pick Punjab caretaker CM amid government, opposition impasse
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Pakistan election regulator to pick Punjab caretaker CM amid government, opposition impasse
- A six-member parliamentary panel was to finalize name for caretaker chief minister’s post by Friday
- If the panel fails to finalize a name, the matter is referred to election regulator as per constitution
Pakistan high court pauses tree-cutting in Islamabad until Feb. 2
- Islamabad High Court asks CDA to ‘explain and justify’ tree-cutting at next hearing
- CDA officials say 29,000 trees were cut due to allergies, deny felling in green belts
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered an immediate halt to tree-cutting in the federal capital until Feb. 2, seeking justification from civic authorities over the legality of a large-scale felling drive that has seen thousands of trees removed in recent months.
The interim order, issued by a single-judge bench led by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, came during proceedings on a petition challenging the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) tree-cutting operations in Islamabad’s Shakarparian area and H-8 sector.
At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that trees were being felled in violation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the city’s master plan.
“Respondents shall not cut trees till the next date of hearing,” Justice Soomro said in the court order released on Friday while referring to CDA officials.
“Respondents are directed to come fully prepared and to file paragraph-wise comments before the next date of hearing, along with a comprehensive report explaining the justification and legal basis for the cutting of trees,” he added.
According to the court order, the petitioner maintained that the CDA had not made any public disclosure regarding the legal basis for the operation and that the felling was causing environmental harm.
The petition sought access to the official record of tree-cutting activities and called for the penalization of CDA officials responsible for the act under relevant criminal and environmental laws.
It also urged the court to impose a moratorium on infrastructure projects in Islamabad, order large-scale replanting as compensation and constitute a judicial commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the alleged violations.
CDA officials acknowledge around 29,000 paper mulberry trees have been cut in the capital in recent months, arguing that the species triggers seasonal allergies such as sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
They also maintain that no trees have been removed from designated green belts and that the number of replacement trees planted exceeds those felled.
Designed in the 1960s by Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, Islamabad was conceived as a low-density city with green belts and protected natural zones at its core.
Critics, however, say the recent felling has extended beyond paper mulberry trees and question whether authorities are adhering to the city’s master plan and the legal protections governing forested and green areas.
The court has adjourned its hearing until Feb. 2, 2026.
