LHC throws out petition seeking disqualification of CM Shahbaz
- By Abid Khan -
- Jan 24, 2018
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissed a constitutional petition seeking disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif from his office.
A bench of the LHC had earlier reserved the verdict on maintainability of the petition after hearing arguments of the petitioner.
During the hearing, the bench asked the litigant to explain under what law it could send the chief executive of Punjab province packing.
The petitioner said Shahbaz, besides the chief minister, held the post of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority chairman. Under the law and the country’s Constitution, a public office holder couldn’t hold two posts at the same time, he argued.
He pleaded with the court to disqualify the chief minister under Article 63 of the Constitution.
On Monday, Shahbaz Sharif appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Ashiana Housing Scheme.
A combined investigation team (CIT) of the bureau questioned him for over one-and-half-an hour for allegedly misusing his authority to award the contract of Ashiana Housing Scheme project to a company but the successful bidder.
He has been accused of illegally meddling in the affairs of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) that caused over Rs1 billion loss to the national exchequer.