Punjab CM polls
\n Islamabad
\nThe uncertainty on Hamza Shahbaz\u2019s election as the Punjab chief minister continued as the Lahore High Court (LHC) once again adjourned the hearing of the case till June 30.
\nA five-member LHC bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan resumed hearing the separate pleas \u2014 filed by PTI and PML-Q \u2014 against Hamza\u2019s election as CM on Wednesday. Bench member Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh said during the hearing that the court will wrap up the case today (Wednesday).
\nHowever, the hearing was adjourned once again, leaving Hamza\u2019s fate hanging in the balance.
\nAt the outset of the hearing, Justice Shahid Jameel remarked that it will hear arguments from the counsel representing Hamza Shahbaz first.
\nThe judge remarked that Hamza\u2019s lawyer will give arguments if the Supreme Court\u2019s verdict on the presidential reference \u2014 seeking the interpretation of Article 63(A) of the Constitution related to defecting lawmakers \u2014 applies to past events.
\nThe apex court, on May 17, ruled that the votes of dissident members of Parliament (MPs), cast against their parliamentary party\u2019s directives, cannot be counted.
\nFollowing Justice Jameel\u2019s directive, Hamza\u2019s counsel started his arguments, maintaining that the ruling doesn\u2019t apply to past events unless the apex court itself says so.
\n\u201cThe truth is that Hamza\u2019s election as Punjab CM hasn\u2019t been challenged but different events had been challenged,\u201d the counsel said.
\nAt the completion of arguments by Hamza\u2019s lawyer, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar came to the rostrum.
\nIn his arguments, Barrister Ali Zafar pleaded with the court that the SC\u2019s verdict should be implemented instead of going after the point of past or future.
\nJustice Shahid asked the lawyer if the court can nullify the notification of Hamza Shahbaz\u2019s election as CM. \u201cCan this court play the role of the presiding officer?\u201d asked Justice Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan.
\n\u201cIf the defecting lawmakers\u2019 votes are not counted, then the presiding officer will have to be directed to hold re-election for the slot,\u201d said Ali Zafar.
\nIn the case of re-election, the notification regarding the appointment of Hamza Shahbaz would be nullified, said the PTI\u2019s lawyer. The court could only tell the presiding officer that he did wrong by counting the votes of defiant MPs, he added.
\nEarlier, the court called President Arif Alvi\u2019s lawyer Advocate Ahmad Awais to the rostrum and sought his views on the remarks made by the single bench about the president.
\nWhile giving his arguments, the advocate pleaded with the court to nullify the single bench remarks about the president.
\nAt this, Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi asked if he meant to say that the remarks were given without hearing the president.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Punjab CM polls Islamabad The uncertainty on Hamza Shahbaz\u2019s election as the Punjab chief minister continued as the Lahore High Court (LHC) once again adjourned the hearing of the case till June 30. A five-member LHC bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan resumed hearing the separate pleas \u2014 filed by PTI and PML-Q \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[452,1635,9170],"class_list":{"0":"post-268889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-election","9":"tag-hamza-shehbaz","10":"tag-persists"},"yoast_head":"\n