LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) Thursday summoned Punjab Assembly (PA) Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on April 15 (today) for hearing of an intra-court appeal, challenging the order of restoring his powers.
The court also summoned the Punjab chief secretary and the inspector general of police on April 15.
A divisional bench, headed by Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Jawad Hassan, passed the orders while hearing an intra-court appeal, filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.
A counsel for the petitioner party argued that an LHC single bench had restored the powers of the deputy speaker and ordered him to hold elections for the chief minister’s slot while disposing of a petition. He submitted that the stance of his client was not heard during the hearing of the petition.
He submitted that no-confidence resolution had been tabled against the deputy speaker, and he was not fit legally to preside the session. He submitted that as per the rules, a panel of chairmen presides the session in case of inability of the speaker and the deputy speaker. He pleaded with the court to issue directions for proceeding further for the election of Punjab chief minister as per the rules and set aside the single bench order. However, the bench observed that as per Constitution, the deputy speaker would preside over the session in the absence of the speaker. The bench observed that no directions could be passed without hearing the other side. The bench adjourned further hearing till Friday and summoned deputy speaker in person.
The court also summoned the Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of police on Friday after the petitioner expressed apprehension about any untoward incident on the election day.
It is to be noted here that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and PA Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and PML-Q Secretary General Kamil Ali Agha on Thursday filed two intra-court appeals in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the court’s Wednesday’s verdict in which it had restored PA Deputy Speaker Sardar Daust Muhammad Mazari’s powers.