Governor Punjab decides against administering oath to Hamza Shehbaz

LAHORE: Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema has decided against administering oath to Chief Minister Punjab-elect Hamza Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court directed him to complete oath-taking process atmost by today, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources privy to the matter, the governor was briefed on options available to him against the Lahore High Court’s decision by legal experts.

It was decided that all options would be utilized and sources said that initially an intra-court appeal would be filed in the high court against the decision.

“If needed, the high court’s decision will be challenged before the Supreme Court,” the meeting agreed after legal experts briefed that the court could not exceed its constitutional limit and issue directives to president and governor.

The sources further shared that the matter would also be conveyed to the president.

Yesterday, Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti directed Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema to either administer oath to the Chief Minister Punjab-elect Hamza Shehbaz or appoint anyone for it.

The chief justice while announcing a reserved verdict over delay in oath taking of the newly elected chief minister directed the governor Punjab to hold oath-taking ceremony by tomorrow.

“The court’s order should immediately be conveyed to the governor and president,” the LHC said as the chief justice remarked that the province is being run without a chief executive for 25 days.

The court further said in its order that currently Usman Buzdar is acting as chief minister and the governor as per the Constitution is bound to take oath from the newly elected chief minister.