Pakistan: Lahore HC to hear plea against oath to Punjab CM Hamza Shehbaz

Lahore High Court has formed a larger bench to hear the intra-court appeal from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) against the administration of oath to Punjab's newly elected Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

PTI has filed an intra-court plea against the High Court's decision directing the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath of the Shehbaz, ARY News reported.

The petition was filed by Azhar Siddiq on behalf of 17 members of the Punjab Assembly, stating that the election of the Punjab Cm was not held as per the Constitution.

The petition further reads, "The Lahore High Court does reserve the right to intervene in parliamentary proceedings."

The plea asked the court to change the single-member bench decision and also asked to form a larger bench to hear the intra-court petition, reported ARY News.

Yesterday, Lahore High Court announced its verdict on the third petition of the Hamza Shehbaz seeking implementation of the two previous court orders on his petitions, directed the National Assembly Speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath-ceremony on Saturday at 11:30 am.

In the Lahore High Court order, Justice Hassab observed that President Arif Alvi and Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema had deliberately ignored the court's decision. He further said, "The governor through his conduct has also made himself 'impracticable' for the oath to be made before him."

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to Hamza Shehbaz even as Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema rejected Usman Buzdar's resignation, deeming it "not constitutionally valid".

Hamza Shahbaz was elected as the new chief minister with 197 votes on April 16 and a day later he was scheduled to take the oath but Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema "postponed" the oath-taking ceremony as he ruled his election controversial due to the ruckus that took place in the Assembly.

Earlier in the day, the Governor of Punjab province, Omar Sarfraz Cheema rejected the resignation of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and sent a letter to province Assembly Speaker leader Pervaiz Elahi Chaudhry to convey his decision.

In the letter, the Governor said that the resignation tendered from Buzdar did not fulfil the requirements under subsection 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution. He further stated that Buzdur in his resignation letter addressed only Prime Minister which was unconstitutional, ARY News reported.

(ANI)