Hamza Shehbaz moves High Court for new Punjab CM’s election

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz moved Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek the court’s help for the in-house election of a new Chief Minister (CM) Punjab after the resignation of Usman Buzdar.

The petition said the nomination papers of Hamza and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Pervaiz Elahi were submitted for the CM’s seat and later a session of the assembly was convened for voting on April 3 but it was adjourned.

Consequently, the Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari directed to hold the session on April 6 at 07:30 pm but the assembly premises were sealed. Hamza requested the court to ensure that there is no interference in the house.

During the hearing, chaired by LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Amir Bhatti, Hamza’s counsel Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said the Punjab advocate general had assured the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on April 5 that the session would be held the next day i.e. April 6th. At this, the CJ summoned the Punjab advocate general only to know that he is in Islamabad.

CJ Bhatti decided to issue notices to all respondents including; Elahi, Mazari, the Punjab chief secretary, and the provincial police chief for Monday (April 11) and adjourned the hearing.

On April 6th, Mazari summoned a crucial session of the assembly for the election of new CM Punjab. However, the PML-Q submitted a no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker.

After the Punjab Assembly was sealed off with barbed wires and the building’s main gate was locked while the Opposition lawmakers, led by the PML-N, held a session of their own at a private hotel, with PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz claiming that Hamza Shehbaz has been “elected” as the Punjab CM.

In the Punjab Assembly, the govt has 183 lawmakers, PML-Q 10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five are independent and one belongs to Rah-i-Haq party.