[132A]

[129. Exercise of executive authority of Province.

The executive authority of the Province shall vest in the Governor and shall be exercised by him, either directly or though officers subordinate to him, in accordance with the Constitution.]

"129

(1) Subject to the Constitution, the executive authority of the province shall be exercised in the name of the Governor by the Provincial Government, consisting of the Chief Minister and Provincial Ministers, which shall act through the Chief Minister.

(2) In the performance of his functions under the Constitution, the Chief minister may act either directly or through the Provincial Ministers.

(3) The Chief Minister and the Provincial Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Provincial Assembly."

[133A]

[130. The Cabinet.

(1) There shall be a Cabinet of Ministers, with the Chief Minister at its head, to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions.

(2)The Governor shall appoint from amongst the members of the Provincial Assembly a Chief Minister who, in his opinion, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the provincial Assembly.

[134][(2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause(2) after the twentieth day of March, one thousand nine-hundred and eighty-eight, the Governor shall invite the member of the Provincial Assembly to be the Chief Minister who commands the confidence of the members of the Provincial Assembly, as ascertained in session of the Assembly summoned for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution:

Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply to a Chief Minister holding office on the twentieth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and eighty eight, in accordance with provisions of the Constitution.]

(3) The person appointed under clause(2) [135][or, as the case may be, invited under clause(2A)] shall, before entering upon the office, make before the Governor oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule and shall within a period of sixty days thereof obtain a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly.

(4) The Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to the Provincial Assembly .

[136] [(5) The Chief Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor, but the Governor shall not exercise his powers under this clause unless he is satisfied that the Chief Minister does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Provincial Assembly, in which case he shall summon the Provincial Assembly and require the Chief Minister to obtain a vote of confidence from the Assembly.]

(6) The Chief Minister may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor, resign his office.

(7) A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Provincial Assembly shall, at the expiration of that period, cease to be a Minister, and shall not before the dissolution of that Assembly be again appointed a Minister unless he is elected a member of that Assembly.

(8) Nothing contained in this Article shall be construed as disqualifying the Chief Minister or any other Minister for continuing in office during any period during which the Provincial Assembly stands dissolved, or as preventing the appointment of any person as Chief Minister or other Minister during any such period.]

"130

The Chief Minister shall keep the Governor informed on matters relating to Provincial administration and on all legislative proposals the Provincial Government intends to bring before the Provincial Assembly."

"(5) The Chief Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor, but the Governor shall not exercise his powers under this clause unless he is satisfied that the Chief Minister does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Provincial Assembly."

[137A]

[131. Duties of Chief Minister in relation to Governor.

It shall be the duty of the Chief Minister-

(a) to communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Cabinet relating to the administration of the affairs of the Province and proposals for legislation;

(b) to furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the Province and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for; and

(c) if the Governor so requires, to submit for consideration of the Cabinet any matter on which a decision has been taken by the Chief Minister or a Minister but which has not been considered by the Cabinet.]

"131

(1) The Provincial Assembly shall meet on the thirtieth day following the day on which a general election to the Assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the Governor.

(2) After the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, the Provincial Assembly shall, to the exclusion of any other business, proceed to elect without debate one of its members to be the Chief Minister.

(3) The Chief Minister shall be elected by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the Provincial Assembly.

Provided that, if no member secures such majority in the first poll, a second poll shall be held between the members who secure the two highest numbers of votes in the first poll and the member who secures a majority of votes of the members present and voting shall be declared to have been elected as Chief Minister;

Provided further that, if the number of votes secured by two or more members securing the highest number of votes is equal, further polls shall be held between them until one of them secures a majority of votes of the members present and voting.

(4) The member elected under clause (3) shall be called upon by the Governor to assume the office of Chief Minister and he shall before entering upon the office make before the Governor oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule."

"132

(1) The Chief Minister shall appoint Provincial Ministers from amongst members of the Provincial Assembly.

(2) Before entering upon office, a Provincial Minister shall make before the Governor oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule.

(3) A Provincial Minister may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Chief Minister, resign his office or may be removed from office by the Chief Minister.

133.

(1) The Chief Minister shall continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office of Chief Minister.

(2) Nothing in Article 131 or Article 132 shall be construed to disqualify the Chief Minister or a Provincial Minister from continuing in office during the period the Provincial Assembly stands dissolved."

"134. Resignation by Chief Minister.

(1) Subject to clause (2), the Chief Minister may by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor, resign his office and, when the Chief Minister resigns, the Provincial Ministers shall cease to hold office.

(2) The Chief Minister and, at the request of the Chief Minister, a Provincial Minister, shall continue to perform the functions of the office of Chief Minister or, as the case may be, Provincial Minister until a new Chief Minister has been elected and has entered upon his office.

(3) If the Provincial Assembly is in session at the time when the Chief Minister resigns his office, the Assembly shall forthwith proceed to elect a Chief Minister, and if the Assembly is not in session the Governor shall for that purpose summon it to meet within fourteen days of the resignation."

"135. Provincial Minister performing functions of Chief Minister.

(1) In the event of the death of the Chief Minister or of the office of Chief Minister becoming vacant by reason of his ceasing to be a member of the Provincial Assembly, the most senior Provincial Minister for the time being shall be called upon by the Governor to perform the functions of that office and the Provincial Ministers shall continue in office until a new Chief Minister has been elected and has entered upon his office.

(2) If the Provincial Assembly is in session at the time when the Chief Minister dies or the office of Chief Minister becomes vacant, the Assembly shall forthwith proceed to elect a Chief Minister, and if the Assembly is not in session the Governor shall for that purpose summon it to meet within fourteen days of the death of the Chief Minister or, as the case may be, of the office becoming vacant.

(3) When the Chief Minister, by reason of absence from Pakistan or any other cause, is unable to perform his functions, the most senior Provincial Minister for the time being shall perform the functions of Chief Minister until the Chief Minister returns to Pakistan or, as the case may be, resumes his functions."

(4) In this Article, "most senior Provincial Minister" means the Provincial Minister for the time being designated as such by the Chief Minister."

"136.

(1) A resolution for a vote of no-confidence may be passed against the Chief Minister by the Provincial Assembly.

(2) A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be moved in the Provincial Assembly unless, by the same resolution, the name of another member of the Assembly is put forward as the successor.

(3) A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be moved in the Provincial Assembly while the Provincial Assembly is considering demands for grants submitted to it in the Annual Budget Statement.

(4) A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be voted upon before the expiration of three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which such resolution is moved in the Provincial Assembly.

(5) If the resolution referred to in clause (1) is passed by a majority of the total membership of the Provincial Assembly, the Governor shall call upon the person named in the resolution as the successor to assume office and on his entering upon office his predecessor and the Provincial Minister appointed by him shall cease to hold office.

Provided that, for a period of ten years from the commencing day or the holding of the second general election to the Provincial Assembly, whichever occurs later, the vote of a member, elected to the Provincial Assembly as a candidate or nominee of a political party, cast in support of a resolution for a vote of no-confidence shall be disregarded if the majority of the members of that political party in the Provincial Assembly has cast its votes against the passing of such resolution.

(6) If a resolution referred to in clause (1) is not passed, another such resolution shall not be moved until a period of six months has elapsed."

"139.

(1) Order, and other instruments made and executed in the name of the Governor shall be authenticated in such manner as may be specified in rules to be made by the Provincial Government, and the validity of an order or instrument which is so authenticated shall not be called in question on the ground that it is not an order or instrument made or executed by the Governor.

(2) The Provincial Government may regulate the allocation and transaction of its business and may for the convenient transaction of that business delegate any of its functions to officers or authorities subordinate to it."

(3) The Governor shall also make rules for the allocation and transaction of the business of the Provincial Government.

By repealing the Legal Framework Order, 2002 (Chief Executive's Order No. 24 of 2002), the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, effectively replaced the following Article 140A inserted by the Legal Framework Order, 2002 (Chief Executive's Order No. 24 of 2002) Art 3(1), Sched. item 16:

140A. Local government.

Each Province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments.