Daily Times

On the first day of hearings on the National Assembly (NA) deputy speaker’s ruling case on Thursday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial stated unequivocally that the Supreme Court (SC) would not interfere in the election of the Punjab chief minister and would limit itself to the deputy speaker’s ruling and the dissolution of the NA.

“You can go to the Lahore High Court (LHC) for redressal of your grievances,” the CJP said, addressing the Advocate General of Punjab (AGP), who said he wanted to bring the apex court’s attention to the fact that the situation in the province was extremely tense.

“A flagrant violation of the constitution was committed when Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA) Hamza Shehbaz was crowned as chief minister at a ceremony at Lahore’s Faletti’s hotel on Wednesday,” he said, adding, “Even former Punjab governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar convened a meeting of provincial bureaucrats.” And today, at Lawrence Garden, he will take the oath of office from the de facto CM Hamza.”

Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel stated that he saw on television yesterday that the Punjab Assembly’s building had been sealed. “What are you doing in Punjab?” he demanded angrily.

“Do not make a speech in the courtroom,” CJP Bandial said, ordering the advocate general of Punjab to submit a written response to the case.