CM Punjab's election: CJ LHC sets hearing on PML-N plea for Monday

LAHORE: Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti has adjourned hearing into PML-N plea for immediate election of Chief Minister Punjab until April 11, ARY NEWS reported.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) approached Lahore High Court (LHC) for immediate election of the Chief Minister Punjab after the post fell vacant following resignation from Usman Buzdar.

The plea was filed by PML-N candidate for the chief minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz through his counsel Azam Nazeer Tarar.

It said that the election for the chief minister Punjab is being delayed unnecessarily.

“The post remains vacant from April 01 and under article 130 of the constitution, it should not remain vacant for so long,” the plea from Hamza Shehbaz said and asked the court to issue orders for holding immediate elections.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to appear before the court on April 11 besides also summoning the record of the Punjab Assembly.

Counsel representing PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz asked the court set proceedings for Saturday arguing that the Supreme Court also took up case of National Assembly proceedings on Sunday.

To this, the LHC chief justice said that the situation in Islamabad was different as it was a suo moto case and they would hear the case on Monday. “The proceedings will move ahead as per law,” the CJ LHC said while directing all respondents in the case to submit their replies by Monday.

Previously, Hamza Shehbaz has accused the ruling alliance of hatching a conspiracy to suspend PML-N members to win the chief minister’s election.

Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly and chief minister’s candidate, Hamza Shehbaz said that Azam Nazeer Tarar has informed the Supreme Court today that 40 members of the assembly being suspended.

“We had 200 members for the election of the Leader of the House, if Pervaiz Elahi had majority, he could not left from the back door,” he said.

The Punjab Assembly session for election of CM Punjab with Hamza Shehbaz being the candidate of joint opposition and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the candidate of the government, has been adjourned till April 16.

The session, with the election of new chief minister on the agenda, was due to be held tomorrow (April 6) but now the Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari has adjourned the session till April 16, citing some repair work in the assembly.