Governor's interference in administrative affairs illegal

LAHORE - Punjab Minister Law Rana Sanaullah Khan has maintained the governor's office is a non-political and the governor is not the representative of any political party. "Governor's constitutional role has termed his act of interfering in the administrative affairs of the province as illegal. We have settled issues with our coalition partners in the province, as the governor has no legal right to write letters to the provincial government." He was addressing the Press Gallery Forum held under the aegis of Press Gallery Committee here on Saturday. He said according to the constitution, the Governor could not interfere in executive affairs of the province. "The Governor is bound to approve any proposal sent by the chief minister or provincial cabinet and if he disagrees with any point, the cabinet can send the matter again to the governor after reviewing it, but the latter cannot talk on political issues," he added while maintaining that it was not the status of the governor to send any letter regarding the performance of provincial government because he was not the member of any political party. "The Governor's interference in Government College University and the Services Hospital matters was invalid as he cannot advise the provincial government, and the government was not answerable to him, as it was only answerable in the Punjab Assembly. The Governor's acts in the executive matters are unconstitutional," he observed. Rana Sana made it clear that the letters were his personal point of view, and not of the Pakistan Peoples Party. "The Pakistan Muslim League-N formed the alliance with the PPP, not with the Governor. If the PML-N would need to change the governor Punjab, it would be decided by the party leadership," he added. While answering a question, Rana Sana said the government would table the names of the members standing committees in the coming week in the House. "It is not an important matter because the past government constituted standing committees after ten months of formation of the government," he said. The Rana said if the forward bloc members belonging to the PML-Q wanted to join the N-League, they could do except those who damaged the PML-N after Nawaz Sharif's. "Moreover, the government will table a resolution to suspend all resolutions passed in favour of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf," he said while clarifying that the government would not give quota parliamentarians in the police recruitments. When a journalist showed him his picture in which he was holding a glass of wine, Rana Sana said on oath that he did not drink and honoured word given by others in this regard. Rana Sana said it was duty of the government to maintain law and order. "A committee has been constituted for increasing salaries of the Police. Moreover, the government will take-up the Land Revenue Act (Amendment) in the House, and bring amendments in the Consumer Protection Act," he added.

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