LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz to work as a trustee CM till Monday (July 25) during a hearing on PML-Q leader Pervez Elahi’s petition against ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari. In his ruling PA Deputy Speaker has cancelled 10 votes of PML-Q and declared Hamza Shehbaz winner though Pervez Elahi secured more votes than Hamza.
During the hearing, the apex court asked Advocate General Punjab Shahzad Shaukat on what basis was he defending the ruling of the deputy speaker — who rejected 10 votes of PML-Q citing Article 63(A).
The advocate general Punjab said that the case is being defended on the basis of the decision announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Advocate Irfan Qadir, who is representing the deputy speaker said that the SC in its decision taken on PTI’s petition regarding vote of defiant members had ruled that vote of dissident members would not be counted.
However, Chief Justice Umar Bandial said: “We would not reconsider the verdict announced on May 17 as it has not been challenged here yet.” He said that the deputy speaker citing SC’s verdict did not reject PML-Q’s 10 votes, therefore, the defending advocate should only highlight the part where this has been written.
Addressing advocate Qadir, he said that you are a senior lawyer and should know from where the deputy speaker took reference for his ruling; the advocate, however, tried to defend the loopholes by saying that he was only appointed two hours before the hearing.
Adding to the argument, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said asked advocate Qadir to read the para which was cited by the deputy speaker.
“According to Article 3(1)A, votes of dissident members would not be counted, this was the court’s investigation,” he read. To this Justice Ahsan said that this was the court’s verdict and not an investigation.
How the hearing proceeded
The decision to conduct the hearing via video link was made after the courtroom door was damaged following a rush of people trying to get through.
The video link room was opened and only the respondents’ lawyers were allowed to be present in person. The media was not allowed to enter the courtroom.
A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — was holding the hearing at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.
The court had summoned Mazari, and sent notices to Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz, the Punjab chief secretary and the advocate general for Punjab.
