LHC dismisses petition challenging legitimacy of Buzdar’s resignation

Don’t make a mockery of this country, says CJ Muhammad Ameer Bhatti

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday dismissed the writ petition challenging the resignation of former Punjab chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.  

The petition was filed through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar in which petitioner M Tanveer argued that former governor Muhammad Sarwar had violated the Constitution by accepting the resignation. 

On Wednesday, Tanveer's counsel had requested the court to declare the action of the former governor 'illegal' because he had accepted the resignation in which he had not been addressed.

During today's proceedings, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti asked the petitioner's counsel if he was an aggrieved party? 

"I am representing a public's large interest case," the counsel responded, adding that the former CM Buzdar’s resignation is illegal as he had not addressed the Punjab governor. 

Read: Buzdar's resignation letter intensifies constitutional crisis

To this, CJ Bhatti further grilled Advocate Nadeem. He said that the Constitution also stated that the resignation should be in handwriting, so if there is a chief minister who does not know how to write and if he comes with a typed resignation then what would you say about the acceptance of the resignation?

"Who told you that the resignation could not be accepted if the governor is not addressed? he remarked.

The counsel prayed to the court that he was talking about the "real essence" of the Constitution. 

"Don’t make a mockery of this country, it is on the edge of destruction and it is hardly breathing but no one is here to think about it," the judge replied.

Subsequently, LHC CJ initially imposed a fine of Rs10,00,000 on the lawyer. But he withdrew the order later after the intervention of senior lawyers.

The petition was also dismissed as withdrawn on the counsel’s request that he wanted to withdraw his petition.