LAHORE - Ending a month-long controversy over the appointment of Mr Safdar Javid Sayed as new chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), Governor Khosa finally administered oath to the chief minister’s nominee on Thursday at a simple but impressive ceremony held at the Governor House.
Administrative secretaries and senior officials of the Punjab government attended this long-awaited ceremony.
The Governor had earlier not only declined to give his assent to Mr Safdar’s appointment, he had also refused to administer oath to the new PPSC head citing legal reasons.
Though the chief minister later notified the appointment using his constitutional powers under Article 105 of the Constitution, but the governor kept insisting for quite some time that he wound not administer oath to a person whose appointment he had been opposing on legal grounds. 
The administering of oath by the governor to the PPSC chairman was made possible through the mediation of Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa who helped resolve the deadlock arising out of the tussle between constitutional head of the province and the chief executive.  The CS called on the governor last week and requested him not to prolong the issue. Safdar Javid had also approached him for the purpose. 
It is interesting to note that the newly appointed PPSC head, who was until his new assignment serving as member of the commission, had been through a dilemma between the period starting from his notification and ending on his oath taking on Thursday. He was unable to perform duties neither as Member nor as the Chairman. If, on the one had, the official notification about his new posting was preventing him from performing duties as Member PPSC; the essential requirement of his oath to be administered by the governor was restricting him to assume duties as PPSC chairman.   
It is relevant to mention here that under clause 4-A of the Punjab Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1978, it is mandatory for the new head of the commission to take oath of his office.