LHC hears appeals against Hamza Shehbaz oath-taking

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday heard intra-court appeals against oath taking of Punjab’s chief minister Hamza Shahbaz, ARY News reported.

The bench is hearing appeals of the PTI, PML-Q and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against different single-bench decisions regarding the election and oath-taking of CM Hamza Shahbaz.

Five-member larger bench of the LHC headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan summoned Advocate Ahmad Awais at the rostrum and questioned him about the single bench’s remarks about the President and governor. “What will happen of the remarks about the president, if we declare the oath-taking order of the coart as void,” the bench asked. “If we have to declare the remarks as void or it would become ineffective,” the court further questioned Ahmad Awais. “You have to declare these remarks as void,” he answered.

“The court also given its remarks about the then governor that he didn’t fulfill his responsibility,” the bench said. “The governor was not a party , how could remarks be given over him,” the lawyer asked.

“We have here two issues,” Justice Shahid Jameel said. “How the Supreme Court’s decision implemented over the chief minister’s election, and second is, the high court ordered the election, in which irregularities complained,” the court said.

In a previous hearing the high court had hinted at holding fresh election for the post of Punjab’s chief minister under April 16 circumstances, when incumbent Hamza Shahbaz was elected in a poll on a court order.

Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan in previous hearing asked Advocate General for Punjab Shahzad Shaukat and the appellants’ counsel to assist the court on a point whether the crisis could be solved if a fresh election was conducted under the same position of April 16.