<<SC Restores Parvez Elahi as CM;PDM Boycott Case Haring>>
<<PDM governor refuses to give oath to the new CM>>
The Supreme Court of Pakistan declared Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab Chief Minister election “illegal” and ruled that Pervaiz Elahi will be the new Punjab Chief Minister.
“Deputy speaker’s ruling is illegal. There is no legal justification for the Deputy Speaker’s ruling,” said the Supreme Court.
court ordered the Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman to administer the oat to Elahi at 11:30pm. The SC also nullified all appointments made by ‘trustee CM’ Hamza Shahbaz.
In case the Punjab governor does not administer the oath to Elahi, President Dr Arif Alvi can do so instead, the court ruled.
The apex court also directed the Punjab chief secretary to issue Elahi’s CM notification today and ordered Hamza Shehbaz to vacate the Chief Minister’s Office immediately.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar announced the decision.
top court, in its short order, also declared all the appointments made by Hamza “illegal” and told the members of his cabinet to vacate their offices.
All of the advisers and assistants appointed by Hamza were also ordered to be relieved of their duties.
During election, Mazari had decided against counting the votes of 10 PML-Q lawmakers, which were cast in Elahi’s favour, citing a letter written by party President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in which he had instructed them to vote for Hamza instead.
The proceedings went on for three days — Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday — as lawyers from all the parties presented their arguments.
coalition government demanded for a full court bench to hear the case but the apex court hearing arguments from all sides for nearly eight hours on Monday, the SC decided not to form a full court bench, saying that the same bench would hear the case.
As the SC decided not to form a full bench, the ruling coalition and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) decided to boycott the apex court s hearing.
Today’s hearing
Earlier today, counsel for Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari, Irfan Qadir, informed the Supreme Court that his client had instructed him not to participate further in the case proceedings and he would instead file a petition for review of the court’s decision not to constitute a full bench.
PPP counsel Farooq H. Naek also declined to participate in the court proceedings. However, they both stayed in the courtroom and watched the proceedings.
The ruling coalition had said yesterday it would boycott the proceedings in protest.
JP Bandial said that the constitution’s Article 63 (A) clearly states that parliamentary party gives directions to lawmakers — and the formation of a full court was nothing more than “delaying the case”.
“The formation of a full court and then hearing of the case could have been delayed till September as judges are on leaves.”
During the course of the proceedings, Deputy Speaker Mazari’s counsel, Irfan Qadir, told the bench that his client has directed him to not be a part of the proceedings.
Qadir told the SC that he would challenge the apex court’s decision on the formation of the full court to hear the PML-Q petition.
