Hamza Shehbaz: LHC gives verdict, orders NA speaker to administer oath

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has announced its verdict on Hamza Shahbaz’s petition and directed the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath to the Punjab Chief Minister-elect, ARY News reported on Friday.

The high court ordered the NA speaker to administer the oath to the Punjab CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz on Saturday at 11:30 am.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) issued its nine-page verdict which stated that it is the court’s responsibility to protest the basic rights and it was a constitutional right of the court to issue such an order.

Earlier, Hamza Shahbaz approached Lahore High Court (LHC) for the third time after Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema refused to administer the oath to him citing one reason or another.

READ: APPEALS FILED AGAINST LHC VERDICT ON HAMZA SHEHBAZ OATH-TAKING

The constitutional petition filed by the Hamza Shahbaz has made federal and provincial governments respondents in the case. The plea stated that the LHC has issued directives for oath-taking, however, the orders are not yet being implemented.

The Punjab governor is refusing to administer the oath to Hamza Shahbaz and the court should intervene and appoint a representative for the purpose. “The court should also identify place and timing for the oath-taking,” it said while also pleading to declare acts of not administering the oath as against the constitution.

Previously, Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema has decided against administering the oath to Chief Minister Punjab-elect Hamza Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court directed him to complete the oath-taking process by Thursday.

The governor had also filed an intra-court plea against the directives issued to him on the matter by the high court.

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

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

“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.