PTI to challenge Hamza’s election as Punjab CM

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will challenge Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz’s election as the chief minister of Punjab in the Lahore High Court, said Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry while speaking to the media on Wednesday.

The senior PTI leader accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son of securing the provincial top slot “illegally”, adding that a petition to remove him from office would be filed in the high court on Thursday. He also said that the court would be asked to order an election for the CM slot at the earliest.

Referring to the opening of courts at midnight the day former premier Imran Khan was ousted from power, he asked for the petition to be heard on a day-to-day basis, adding that “we all know that courts are open 24 hours”.

Fawad also highlighted that his party was seeking the legal way to the issue despite the fact that the notification for Hamza’s de-seating could be issued by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Commenting on the political crisis, he once again reiterated the demand for early polls, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz could be asked to take a vote of confidence by President Dr Arif Alvi. He added that the incumbent government did not have the 172 votes needed to form a government in the centre.

He also commented on the economic situation, saying that the country was suffering following PTI chief’s dismissal from office.

Fawad said that he did not know whether the government was being pressurised by the security establishment for early elections, but “any patriotic Pakistani” can feel the crisis. He said that immediate polls were the only solution to the political crisis, adding that the government must hold them in September.

On the other hand, PML-N’s Ataullah Tarar termed the discussion on Hamza’s exit as “baseless rumours”. Claiming that his party was still in majority in Punjab, he added that the case was “open and shut” and they were not worried about it.

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