LAHORE, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against the ruling of the Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari till Monday.
Earlier during the course of hearing at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, the three-member bench consisting of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar asked the Deputy Speaker to appear before the Court; however, he didn’t turn up rather his lawyer Irfan Qadir attended the hearing and presented his arguments.
The Supreme Court maintained that apparently the ruling by the Deputy Speaker, in which had rejected PML-Q’s 10 votes in the Punjab Chief Minister Election, was illegal, restoring the status of the Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, he had been holding on July 1.
Irfan Qadir admitted before the bench that it was the Parliamentary leader of a party who could issue directives to party’s lawmakers to exercise their votes as per set guidelines.
The Court ruled that they can’t leave the province without being governed; therefore, Hamza would remain as the trustee Chief Minister.
The Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked that they would monitor Hamza Shahbaz and likely announce the judgement on Monday or Tuesday. He said that Hamza wouldn’t exercise those powers which could benefit him politically.
Later, the Apex Court sought a written reply from the Deputy Speaker on Monday and adjourned the hearing.
Earlier in the morning, Hamza Shahbaz took oath as the Punjab Chief Minister. The Governor Punjab Baligh-ur-Rehman administered oath to him.
In the run-off election held at the Punjab Assembly on Friday, Hamza Shahbaz secured 179 votes while his opponent Chaudhry Parvez Elahi secured 176 votes.
Parvez Elahi had bagged 186 votes – 176 from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and 10 from his own party – however, the Deputy Speaker rejected 10 votes cast by PML-Q MPAs in the light of Article 63 (1) (A) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
