Hamza, Elahi advised: Decide on CM poll mutually, avoid creating scene, orders LHC

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday advised Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari and Leader of the Opposition Hamza Shehbaz to mutually settle a date for election of the chief minister.

LHC Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti said asked the counsel for the parties to huddle in the office of the Punjab advocate-general to solve the matter amicably and decide on early election for Punjab chief minister.

He said: “Don’t create a scene. Remember we are all residents of this country. Solve the problem at home, together.” At the onset of the hearing over the delay in the CM’s election, the chief justice asked about the process for the election. 

He said the assembly session could not be adjourned once the election process started. Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti said the date for the CM election would be announced after the submission of nomination papers by the candidates and their scrutiny by the secretariat.

The secretary said during the last session on April 3, lawmakers allegedly belonging to the PMLN had ransacked the furniture of the house which was now being replaced. As a result of the ruckus, the session was adjourned until April 16, he claimed.

PA Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti said the powers of Deputy Speaker Mazari were revoked after a notification was made public through media that had said the session would be held on April 6 instead of April 16. This led Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, a nominee for chief minister as well, to withdraw all powers of the acting speaker, he said. The deputy speaker’s powers were revoked because a no-confidence motion against him, the secretary said.

Asking about the date of the CM election, the chief justice said it could not be changed, adding that what date should be fixed for the contest. The PA secretary’s counsel said that the PA had summoned the session for April 16 in this regard.

He also ordered the opening of the office of the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker and directed the LHC registrar and Punjab Assembly secretary to accompany the deputy speaker to his office.

The court further directed the registrar to assess the assembly’s condition after the earlier ruckus. During the proceedings, Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari appeared before the court and submitted that he had acted as per the law but his office was closed. Responding to an objection by the deputy speaker to the assembly secretary, the chief justice said let the first order be implemented.

The court will make a decision about powers of the deputy speaker and its use on Tuesday, he said. Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn on behalf of the Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid submitted that the powers of the deputy speaker were withdrawn over the misuse.

It is not known why the date of the assembly session was changed at midnight, he said. The counsel for Hamza Shehbaz and deputy speaker objected to the use of the inappropriate language by the PML-Q’s counsel.

Punjab Advocate-General Ahmad Owais stated that the session was postponed owing to the ruckus. However, the chief justice noted that it did not mean that the assembly session should not be convened in such circumstances. Subsequently, the chief justice adjourned further hearing until Tuesday (today).