Omer Sarfraz Cheema

{{Short description|Pakistani politician (born 1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Omar Sarfraz Cheema | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | image = Omar Sarfaraz Cheema.jpg | image_size = 200px | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | order = | office = 40th Governor of Punjab | status = | term_start = 3 April 2022 | term_end = 10 May 2022 | subterm = | suboffice = | monarch = | president = Arif Alvi | governor_general = | prime_minister = Imran Khan<br />Shehbaz Sharif | taoiseach = | chancellor = | governor = | co-leader = | party = PTI (1996-present) | deputy = | lieutenant = | succeeding = | constituency = | majority = | predecessor = Chaudhry Sarwar | successor = Baligh Ur Rehman | prior_term = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|7|24}} | birth_name = Omer Sarfraz Cheema | birth_place = Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan | office2 = Advisor to the Chief Minister, Information | term_start2 = 6 August 2022 | 2namedata2 = Parvez Elahi | 2blankname2 = Chief Minister | office1 = Advisor the Chief Minister, Home and Prisons | term_start1 = 13 October 2022 | 1blankname2 = Governor | 1namedata2 = Baligh Ur Rehman | 1blankname1 = Governor | 1namedata1 = Baligh Ur Rehman | 2blankname1 = Chief Minister | 2namedata1 = Parvez Elahi | predecessor1 = Muhammad Hashim Dogar(as Minister) | term_end2 = 14 January 2023 | term_end1 = 14 January 2023 }} '''Omar Sarfraz Cheema''' (born 24 July 1969) is a Pakistani politician who has been a founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He served as the Governor of Punjab for a little over a month, from 3 April 2022 till 10 May 2022 amidst the 2022 Constitutional crisis in Punjab, Pakistan. On advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif he was removed as Governor and ceased to hold office on 10 May 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Mansoor |date=2022-05-10 |title=Punjab governor removed despite president's resistance |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1688918 |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> Cheema was replaced by Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman on 30 May 2022, despite resistance from the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Mansoor |date=2022-05-10 |title=Punjab governor removed despite president's resistance |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1688918 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> Alvi conceded and approved the replacement of Cheema.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tahir |first1=Zulqernain |title=Alvi concedes, Baligh becomes Punjab governor |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1692387 |work=DAWN |date=31 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He has been held in prison since 2023 in alleged relation to the May 9 riots and has been incarcerated while being denied proper facilities while imprisoned.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-11-22 |title='Incarcerated' Umar Sarfraz Cheema reaffirms support for Imran Khan |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/11/22/incarcerated-umar-sarfraz-cheema-reaffirms-support-for-imran-khan/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-06-13 |title=Reply sought on jail facilities for Cheema |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2421464/reply-sought-on-jail-facilities-for-cheema |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>

==Background== Cheema was born on 24 July 1969, in Wazirabad, Punjab and belongs to a Jat Family. He has studied at Saint Anthony's School Lahore. He did his graduation from Government College University Lahore.<ref>{{cite news |title=Omar Sarfraz Cheema Made New Punjab Governor As Imran Khan Faces No-trust Vote |url=https://margallatoday.com/omar-sarfraz-cheema-made-new-punjab-governor-as-imran-khan-faces-no-trust-vote|access-date=17 April 2022 |work=The Margalla Today |language=en}}</ref>

==Political career== He entered politics in 1996 and was a key founding member of PTI. According to PTI, he held party positions in various Tehsils.

On 3 April 2022, amidst a constitutional crisis in Punjab, Cheema was appointed as the Governor of Punjab by Imran Khan after the removal of Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Govt appoints Omer Cheema as Punjab governor, sacks Chaudhry Sarwar |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1683225/govt-appoints-omer-cheema-as-punjab-governor-sacks-chaudhry-sarwar |work=Dawn |date=April 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sarwar gets the boot as govt appoints Omar Cheema as governor Punjab |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2350802/sarwar-gets-the-boot-as-govt-appoints-omar-cheema-as-governor-punjab |work=Express Tribune |date=3 April 2022}}</ref>

Following the No-confidence motion against Imran Khan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a summary for the removal of Cheema as Governor of Punjab to President Arif Alvi.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siddiqui |first1=Naveed |title=President Alvi 'strongly rejects' PM's advice to remove Punjab governor |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1688811/president-alvi-strongly-rejects-pms-advice-to-remove-punjab-governor |work=DAWN |date=9 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The president approved the summary, though the President also stated that he resisted the removal,<ref name=":0" /> and Cheema was removed from office on 10 May 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malik |first1=Mansoor |title=Punjab governor removed despite president's resistance |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1688918/punjab-governor-removed-despite-presidents-resistance |work=DAWN |date=10 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Siddiqui |first1=Naveed |title=Punjab governor logjam continues as Alvi tells Shehbaz that Cheema still holds office |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1690789 |work=DAWN |date=21 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Cheema was inducted into the cabinet of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the Punjab Chief Minister's advisor on information on 6 August 2022 and as advisor on Home and Prisons from 13 October 2022. He ceased to hold both offices on 14 January 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Imran approves Omar Sarfraz Cheema's appointment as advisor to Punjab home minister |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/671196-Imran-approves-Omar-Sarfraz-Cheema’s-appointment-as-advisor-to-Punjab-ho |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Dunya News|date=12 October 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-06 |title=Punjab CM appoints 3 advisors, 4 special assistants |url=https://nation.com.pk/2022/08/06/punjab-cm-appoints-3-advisors-4-special-assistants/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=The Nation |language=en}}</ref>

On 10 May 2023, Cheema was arrested after a 4:00 AM raid on his house by authorities a day after PTI chairman Imran Khan was arrested.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahzad |first=M. |date=2023-05-10 |title=Former Punjab governor Omar Cheema arrested |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2415951/former-punjab-governor-omar-cheema-arrested |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>

=== Incarceration === Following his arrest, Cheema was caught in various legal troubles due to his relation with the May 9 riots. He was held in jail on judicial remand which was later extended by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). On 22 June 2023 Cheema's wife, Rabia Sultan was arrested while waiting outside the ATC in Lahore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Omar Sarfraz Cheema's wife arrested from Lahore's anti-terrorism court |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/494998-omar-sarfraz-cheemas-wife-arrested-from-lahores-anti-terrorism-court |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en}}</ref> Authorities alleged Cheema and Rabia had a relation to the May 9 riots. Cheema is currently incarcerated, and his wife has alleged that he is not being provided with basic needs or facilities while imprisoned by the authorities.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

On 22 November, Cheema was re-arrested in a case related to the May 9 riots,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bilal |first=Rana |date=2023-11-20 |title=PTI's Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema arrested in fresh case linked to May 9 violence in Lahore |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1790948 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> which PTI alleges is a false flag operation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-08 |title='Imran to Nation': May 9 false flag operation pre-planned to crush PTI |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2024/05/08/imran-to-nation-may-9-false-flag-operation-pre-planned-to-crush-pti/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{S-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title = Governor of Punjab | years = 3 April 2022 – 10 May 2022 | before = Mohammad Sarwar | after = Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman }} {{s-end}} {{Governors of Punjab, Pakistan}} {{Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheema, Omer Sarfraz}} Category:Living people Category:Governors of Punjab, Pakistan Category:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politicians Category:People from Gujranwala District Category:1969 births