Punjab CM temporarily suspends declaration of Sharifs' Jati Umra residence as camp office

By
Raees Ansari
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Notification declaring Jati Umra the CM's Camp Office
 

LAHORE: Punjab Cheif Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended on Wednesday implementation of the order to declare Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif's Jati Umra residence as the 'CM Punjab Camp Office'.

Earlier in the day, the news of the summary declaring the change of status for the Sharifs' palatial residence had been reported. 

However, after airing of the news, Shehbaz suspended the order's implementation and summoned the relevant officials who will decide whether to declare the entire estate as the camp office or a specific section of it, according to sources. 

Prior to this, the chief minister's 180-H Model Town residence was used as his camp office since 2011. But the residence's status was denotified in August this year after a written complaint by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's NA-120 candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid who accused Maryam Nawaz and federal ministers of using the official space for election campaigning.

The Election Commission of Pakistan's rules bar any electioneering at government offices. 

In a notification issued by the CM office and signed by Special Secretary to Chief Minister Punjab Syed Waseem Raza Jaffery, it was said that the “The Competent Authority has desired that 180-H. Model Town Lahore may please be de-notified as ‘Chief Minister’s Camp Office’, with immediate effect.

At present, the former prime minister resides at his Jati Umra residence when in Lahore and holds party meetings which are attended by senior government officials, including the prime minister and members of the cabinet.