LAHORE: Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has submitted the plea in Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek the judiciary’s help to hold the election for the chief minister’s office in the province.
The CM’s seat has been vacant since ex-governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar accepted Usman Buzdar’s resignation on April 1.
The plea was filed by Ataullah Tarar and Azam Nazir Tarar on behalf of the PML-N nominee for CM slot, Hamza Shehbaz. The court was prayed to fix the case for hearing today. It said that the election for the chief minister of Punjab is being delayed unnecessarily. The LHC CJ will hear the petition today.
Hamza has made Punjab Assembly speaker, deputy speaker and IG police respondents in his petition.
“Assembly secretary and administrative officers are obeying the illegal orders of Parvez Elahi and the Punjab Assembly’s session is being delayed without any reason,” the petitioner said.
In the petition, Hamza said that under Article 130, the election for the CM cannot be delayed. He said the parties named in the case are not performing their duties in line with the law.
“Therefore, the court should issue an order at the earliest and make the election possible,” he added.
The session, with the election of a new chief minister on the agenda, was due to be held on April 6 but Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari has adjourned the session till April 16, citing some repair work in the assembly.
However, two days back, the Opposition’s symbolic Punjab Assembly session elected PML-N leader Hamza the CM after the government sealed off the provincial assembly.