Islamabad: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ruled the election for Chief Minister of Punjab would be conducted as originally planned on April 16.
The court announced its rulng while setting aside the pleas filed by Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA) Hamza Shahbaz and Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.
The court has, however, restored powers of the Deputy Speaker directing him to conduct the election.
Hamza Shahbaz’ rival candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who is also Speaker of the Assembly had earlier stripped the Deputy Speaker of his powers and even banned his entry into the premises of the building.
He had also sealed the building with barbed wires to prevent the entry of the lawmakers.
However, Chief Justice LHC Ameer Bhatti in his verdict that was reserved earlier, ordered Punjab Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari to complete the election process on April 16.
The court has also directed all parties to fulfil their responsibilities under the law and the Constitution, with specific instructions for the assembly staff to fully cooperate in holding the elections.
The court has also made it clear none of the members would be stopped from casting his/her vote for the candidate of his/her choice.
Complete preparations by Friday
The court also directed the PA secretary to complete all renovation work at the assembly before 11pm on Friday so it is available for use the next day for the election.
The Punjab Assembly has to elect new leader of the house after Usman Buzdar resigned this month on April 1.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N’s) Hamza Shahbaz who is the son of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif are in the race to head the biggest province of the country, with 120 million population.
'Party position'
In order to be elected as the chief minister, a candidate will need at least 186 votes in the 371-member house.
In the Punjab Assembly, the PTI has 183 lawmakers, PML-Q 10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five are independent and one belongs to Rah-i-Haq.
Hamza has claimed to have secured the support of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s ( PTI) dissident Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) — the Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan groups.
Delay after delay
The Punjab Assembly’s session first met on April 3 to elect the Leader of the House but the session was postponed within minutes after sitting when women MPAs of the rival groups clashed with each other.
First it was announced the assembly would meet again on April 6 then it was again rescheduled for April 16 owing to damage caused by lawmakers after the clashes among women MPs.
However, the things messed up when
Deputy speaker summoned the session for the CM’s election on April 6 instead of April 16 — a move that drew Speaker’s as well as his party PTI’s ire, following which they filed a no-confidence motion against him.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan had nominated Speaker of Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi for chief minister, but since there is a divide within PTI on the decision, he is expected to face a tough competition with the Opposition recently showing that it has the numbers to win the polls.
Hamza Shahbaz who is joint opposition’s consensus candidate in a recent show of strength had brought around 200 MPAs in a mock session of the assembly.
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