PTI challenges notification of Hamza Shahbaz's chief ministership

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has challenged the notification of Hamza Shahbaz’s chief ministership in the Lahore High Court (LHC), ARY News reported on Saturday.

The notification of Hamza Shahbaz for becoming the Punjab chief minister has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The petitioner Sibtain Khan, who filed the petition through Azhar Siddique Advocate, stated that the resignation tendered by Usman Buzdar was constitutionally incorrect and all previous steps were nullified after the rejection of his resignation.

READ: HAMZA SHAHBAZ SWORN IN AS PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER

Khan stated in his petition that Hamza Shahbaz has taken oath as the Punjab CM which is unconstitutional in light of the governor’s letter. Usman Buzdar as the Punjab CM and the provincial cabinet were reinstated while two chief ministers could not serve at the same time.

The petitioner sought the high court to stop Hamza Shahbaz from working as the chief minister after declaring the notification invalid.

Following the LHC orders, Hamza was sworn in as the 21st Chief Minister of Punjab at a ceremony held at the Governor House, Punjab.

Hamza Shahbaz was administered the oath by National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on LHC order after Punjab Governor Omar Cheema turned down the court’s suggestion and refused to administer the oath.

READ: COURT DISMISSES PERVAIZ ELAHI’S PLEA FOR CASE AGAINST HAMZA SHAHBAZ

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and federal ministers including Rana Sanaullah, Musadik Malik, Azam Nazeer Tarar and others.

PTI’s intra-court appeal

Earlier in the day, the LHC formed a larger bench to hear an intra-court appeal from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) against the administration of the oath to Hamza Shahbaz.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed an intra-court plea against Lahore High Court (LHC) decision directing National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath to Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shahbaz.

The division bench while hearing the case returned it to the chief justice LHC and asked him to form a larger bench as petition has highlighted key points. “A five-member or a larger bench should be formed,” the court announced in its verdict while suspending the paragraph 9 of the decision announced by single bench.”