18 Portfolios: Petitioner told to make CM a party

A petitioner challenged the holding of 18 portfolios by the CM – to make CM Shahbaz Sharif a respondent.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed a petitioner – who has challenged the holding of 18 portfolios by the chief minister – to make Chief  Minister Shahbaz Sharif  a respondent. When the proceedings started, Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked petitioner-lawyer Noshab A Khan why he had not named the chief minister as a party in the case. Khan replied that he had not done so because Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif enjoyed constitutional immunity. At this, Justice Bandial said that the court would decide whether or not he had immunity. The proceedings were then adjourned indefinitely. The petitioner Noshab A Khan says tragedies like the deaths caused by spurious drugs would continue if a health minister is not appointed. He has prayed the court to declare the impugned act of the Chief  Minister Shahbaz Sharif unconstitutional.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2012.