LAHORE: The government has suggested to Dr Tahirul Qadri imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab for ensuring free and fair investigation into the Model Town case.

According to a federal government official, the offer was made in response to the Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s demand for resignation of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif so that he could not influence the investigation.

President Mamnoon Husain may invoke his powers under Article 234 of the constitution to impose the governor’s rule, which may continue for two months.

A resolution by a joint sitting of both houses of parliament may allow extension of the rule by two months. The rule cannot be imposed for more than six months.

Under the proposed arran­ge­ment, Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, whom Dr Qadri trusts, would supervise the investigation, the official said.

The chief minister, along with the provincial assembly, will stand restored if he is found not guilty.

The government has already accepted the first PAT demand: registration of FIR of the incident. A copy of the proposed FIR has been shown to Dr Qadri.

According to the official, Shahbaz Sharif agreed to resign and signed a paper in this respect before leaving for China on Tuesday on a two-day visit, but some PML-N leaders opposed the option, arguing that it would send a negative message, and suggested the imposition of governor’s rule.

Article 234 was used by former president Asif Zar­dari on Feb 25, 2009, to suspend the then Shahbaz government when the PML-N was planning a long march on Islamabad for restoration of the judges removed by retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014