Supreme Court verdict mere observation, Hamza Shahbaz to remain CM: Ata Tarar

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has termed the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding Article 63A as mere observation and an advisory decision.

Addressing a press conference, PMLN Deputy Secretary General Ataullah Tarar said the reference had been send to the court for clarity on the Constitution’s Article 63A and the decision was an observation, not a decision.

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz was scheduled to address the press conference but he didn’t turn up. Tarar was accompanied by PMLN leaders Bilal Yasin and Owais Leghari. To a question, Tarar said the verdict was an advisory decision. In the case of Hamza Shehbaz, the Election Commission of Pakistan is yet to announce its decision.

“If Pervez Elahi and PTI boycotted the election, did they inform their party members in writing? Hamza Shehbaz is the chief minister and will continue to hold his office,” he added. 

Tarar said the decision about 26 members would be taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan. “Only the governor has the power to ask the chief minister for a vote of confidence. Now all eyes are on the ECP. At present, there is no governor in Punjab. On June 1, Baligh-ur-Rehman will automatically become the governor. The President is bound by the Constitution but he is acting like a slave. The President cannot stop the summary of the governor but he has become a private employee. However, law will take its course,” he maintained.

Atta Tarar said the notification for providing land for Namal University was being suspended. “Imran Khan, through his government, took illegal possession of government land. A case to investigate corruption of Rs10 billion by former Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will soon be sent to the Anti-Corruption Department. Imran Niazi had repeatedly applied for a university in Mianwali and asked for land for educational purposes. He tried to take 6500 kanals more land during his government. The land belonged to people of Mianwali,” he added.

Tarar claimed that 6,500 kanals of land had been provided to the university free of cost and people were not paid for it. He said the land had a lake on its front and “Imran mafia” wanted to use it for their personal benefits. “Imran Khan was in such a hurry to take possession of the land that it was seized without paying any compensation. He should be asked for what purpose the land of Namal University was taken,” he maintained.

He said the machinery used for the land was not used for education while Namal University’s board of governors included his family members and friends. “Imran Khan is the biggest occupation mafia in the country and the Sargodha commissioner has been asked to cancel the notification of land acquisition. Shaukat Khanum Hospital’s land was also demanded from Nawaz Sharif and then the request was made to the LDA DG to give him a plot, not a residential plot. Imran Khan has an old habit of begging as he himself said that he never even kept a wallet,” he said and asked Imran Khan to tell the nation what was his source of income.

“Nobody knows about his business; how he is running the palace spread over 400 kanals. Usman Bazdar also looted Rs10 billion. Ahsan Jamil Gujjar, Farah Gogi and Usman Buzdar received money on Imran Khan’s behalf,” Tarar claimed. He said Usman Buzdar was really Wasim Akram Plus for Imran Khan. “Imran Khan's land in Ferozwala was not inherited but bought from a woman. The nation asks him to tell who rebuilt his house in Zaman Park and what was his source of income?” he asked.