LAHORE - Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court today would take up petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, seeking disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allegedly violating oath as a member of the provincial assembly and doing unlawful business.

Imran Khan filed the petition through his counsel Babar Awan, making Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Election Commission of Pakistan parties in the case. Khan alleged Shehbaz Sharif took oath as a member of the provincial assembly and head of the cabinet, but failed to fulfil his oath.

“The oath taken by Shehbaz Sharif enjoins him to be sagacious, righteous and non-profligate and honest. But Shehbaz Sharif violated his oath and preferred his personal gains to national interests using his influence and official conduct as well as misusing his official decisions. Shehbaz Sharif is, therefore, disqualified to hold the office of the chief minister as well as membership of the provincial assembly in terms of provisions of Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973,” the petition stated.

Imran mentioned his party leader Jehangir Tareen’s petition against the Punjab government over allowing shifting and relocation of certain sugar mills and relied upon the LHC’s observation in the case that the government made a policy to benefit selected sugar mills.

Khan alleged Shehbaz Sharif misused his powers as the chief minister allowing his relatives and others to establish new sugar mills as well as their relocation/shifting in South Punjab through an illegal notification.

He said a number of writ petitions were decided by the LHC, in which several provincial departments like agriculture, industries, commerce and investment, food, environment protection and law and parliamentary affairs were made respondents through their competent authorities.

District coordination officers of Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Rajanpur were also impleaded, the petition stated. Textile and food and research ministries, Islamabad, were also made parties to explain the federal government’s policy and national interests, the petition further stated.

Imran Khan said Shehbaz Sharif had been ruling Punjab for about nine years. “He became chief minister of the province after his election as an MPA from PP-159 and, being head of the cabinet, he was custodian of every penny and all assets of the province, but he acted quite contrary to it,” Imran said.

Khan also relied upon the Supreme Court’s decision in Panama Papers case and the inquiry report prepared by the joint investigation team (JIT) against the ruling Sharif family.

He said the letter issued by Ministry of Justice of UAE had also proven this fact that the respondent and his family were telling lies. He further alleged Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif set the worst examples of conflict of interests in the history of the country and made unlawful colossal business gains through their families and cronies.

He referred to another decision of the SC that contained reports of various banks, terming the respondent and his family defaulters. He added only National Bank of Pakistan claimed the respondents made payment of Rs 6 billion.

Justifying submission of his petition before the court, he submitted that a reference was moved to the Punjab Assembly speaker for disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but he dismissed the reference. He questioned Shehbaz Sharif’s membership of the assembly. “Under what authority of law has he been holding the office of chief minister as well as membership of the provincial assembly?” he asked.

He prayed to the court to disqualify Shehbaz Sharif and order Election Commission of Pakistan to issue required notification in accordance with the law.