Five-judge bench adjourns petitions against CM Hamza’s election till today | PTI counsel seeks 10-day time for election

LAHORE    -  A five-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Tues­day adjourned hearing of ap­peals against Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz’s election and oath-taking till June 29 (today).

The bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan heard the appeals filed by Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs including Sibtain Khan.

During the proceedings, the bench ob­served that it wanted to decide the mat­ter today [Tuesday] and directed the PTI counsel and provincial law officer to ap­pear at 12:00pm after taking instruc­tions. The bench asked them to assist on the point that if the Punjab Assembly ses­sion was reverted to April-16 position and again polling was held for election of the chief minister, then how the crisis could be avoided. The bench observed that if the session was summoned again, then the same presiding officer would hold the polling, which conducted it on April 16. To which, the PTI counsel submitted that the polling held under the deputy speak­er had also been challenged.

At this, the bench observed that the deputy speaker would hold the elec­tion, as the LHC had given a decision on the matter and the same had not been challenged. Punjab Advocate General Shahzad Shaukat sought one-day time, during the proceedings, saying that time was required as he had to brief the chief minister on the issue.

The PTI counsel submitted that the pe­titioners had challenged the election of Hamza Shehbaz. To which, the bench ob­served that if the petition was allowed, then what would be the situation.

The PTI counsel expressed apprehen­sions on holding of elections in the pres­ence of Hamza Shehbaz in office. He sub­mitted that at least 10-day time should be given for the election. He submitted that the situation could not be reversed as 25 members had been de-notified where­as the LHC had given verdict on five re­served seats of the Punjab Assembly.

The bench observed that after exclud­ing 25 members, the presiding officer had to judge who had the majority. If the elec­tion was held, then the votes of de-noti­fied members would not be counted, it added Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan observed that the Supreme Court