Judge refuses to hear case against secret Senate vote

Judge requests him to place the matter before any other judge as he could not hear the case due to personal reasons

LAHORE: Justice Shahid Mubeen of the Lahore High Court recused himself from hearing a petition which challenged the secret vote held to remove the senate chairman.

The judge, sending back the file to the LHC chief justice, requested him to place the matter before any other judge as he could not hear the case due to personal reasons.

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The petitioning organisation, namely the Lawyers Foundation for Justice, contended that a secret ballot could be used to elected functionaries at the highest level, for example the chief executive of Pakistan. It added that therefore, a prime minister is elected under such a vote as provided under Article 226. The petitioner stated there was no reason for the ‘removal’ of a Senate chairman through a secret ballot.

It was further stated that the removal of a public office holder was permissible through a vote, but not a secret ballot. The petition read that the process must be transparent through a show of hands.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2019.