Chief justice refuses to give verdict on dilemma of Punjab Assembly

ISLAMABAD: Referring the case to the Lahore High Court (LHC), Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday refused to give verdict on the dilemma of the Punjab Assembly.

The chief justice said this in response to the advocate general Punjab’s bringing up the issue of Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Hamza Shahbaz’s being elected as a new chief minister, by the joint opposition MPAs in a symbolic session of the Punjab Assembly (PA), at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, during hearing of the suo moto case about dismissal of no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

The advocate general Punjab said the constitution held a minute importance before them. He said former governor would administer oath to Hamza Shahbaz as the CM at Bagh e Jinnah in Lahore on April 7 (today). “Hamza has also convened a meeting of bureaucrats today,” he said.

Read more: Hamza Sharif elected as Punjab Chief Minister in PA’s symbolic session

Justice Mazhar Alam Mian Khel asked if the assembly could legally be sealed like its doors were sealed on April 6.

PML-N leader and advocate Azam Nazeer Tarar said the PA members were representatives of the masses and asked if the public representatives were stopped from going to the assembly then what they should do.

The CJP removed the Punjab advocate general and Azam Tarar from the rostrum.

Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz was elected as a new chief minister by the joint opposition MPAs in a symbolic session of the Punjab Assembly (PA) held at a local hotel on Wednesday night.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)’s Jahangir Khan Tareen and Aleem Khan groups held a symbolic Punjab Assembly session at the hotel in protest as the Punjab Assembly building had been locked on Wednesday with barbed wires, amid confusion over the scheduling of all important session for the election of the new chief minister of Punjab after the resignation of Usman Buzdar.

Read more: PTI submits no-trust motion against deputy speaker Punjab Assembly

It is pertinent to mention here that Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has been nominated by the PTI whereas Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has been nominated by the Opposition parties as CM candidate.