PTI challenges Hamza Shehbaz' election as Punjab CM

Former ruling party asks LHC to remove chief minister and annul last month's election

LAHORE:

Two separate petitions were filed in the Lahore High Court — one seeking the removal of Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz Sharif while the second one related to getting declared null and void the contest on the CM’s slot held on April 16 in the Punjab Assembly.

The PTI petition requested the court to declare Hamza Shehbaz’s election as the Punjab chief minister “illegal” and to restrain him from working in that capacity.

The petition was filed by PTI MPAs Mohammad Sibtain Khan, Zainab Umair, Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal, Syed Abbas Ali Shah, and Ahsan Saleem Baryar.

Read: PTI to challenge Hamza’s election as Punjab CM

Hamza was elected as the Punjab CM on April 16, during a provincial assembly session that was marred by mayhem and violence. He faced several delays in assuming charge of the CM Office because of then Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s refusal to administer his oath.

The other petition was filed by senior advocate Mushtaq Ahmed Mohal. He contended that after the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, the PML-N’s Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz Sharif has lost his constitutional right of remaining in power. He requested the court to restrain him from working at his office.

Meanwhile, the LHC has left a query on the PTI lawyer for his input over whether or not an oath administered to an elected chief minister had ever been vitiated.

A larger bench of the LHC headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan heard three “intra-court appeals” filed by the former ruling party on Thursday.

Also read: Votes of defectors will not be counted, rules SC

The first appeal was against LHC Justice Jawad Hassan’s decision who had directed the National Assembly speaker to administer the oath to newly elected Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

The other two appeals were against LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti’s decision wherein he had first ordered the President of Pakistan to nominate anyone to administer the oath to Hamza and then had advised the Punjab government to ensure the administration of the oath.

The arguments placed before the bench by PTI counsel Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqi revolved around expelling an impression that perhaps Punjab governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema had denied administering the oath.

Secondly, the argument was how a case could be built merely on perceptions when the Constitution granted Cheema 24 days to ponder over the things. The PTI counsel then put the onus on Hamza arguing that the chief minister lingered the matter and continued filing different petitions in the LHC.

He also questioned the LHC CJ’s order wherein no sufficient time was granted to PTI despite the fact the party had been arguing that the governor was seeking assistance from the president.