PTI has sought an extension of seven days before the process of re-election of the Punjab chief minister during the hearing of a plea in the Supreme Court in another attempt to remove Hamza Shahbaz from the post of Punjab chief minister. The party petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) to overturn the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to perform a vote recount in the April 16 CM election. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court accepted the petition for an instant hearing and convened a three-member bench.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, is currently hearing the case. The LHC dismissed the PTI’s case against Hamza’s election in a 4-1 split judgement.CM’s seat, while ordering a recount of votes cast during the Punjab chief executive’s election but with 25 PTI dissidents’ votes excluded, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 63. (A).
PTI leader Babar Awan came before the court at the start of the session, while PTI’s attorney attended via video link. Beginning his arguments, Awan informed the court that all of the PTI legislators are not in Lahore since some are performing Hajj and others are attending family festivities. When this was mentioned, Justice Ijazul Ahsan stated that he does not agree with waiting before voting if any member is missing. The judge adjourned the hearing to 2:45 p.m. after hearing PTI’s arguments.
The petition requests an urgent hearing on the petition, as well as the removal of Hamza Shahbaz from the role of Punjab Chief Minister and the suspension of the recounting process until a decision on the petition is reached. PTI has maintained in its petition that the LHC’s order should be changed and that ample time be allowed to inform all lawmakers in order to assure their attendance at the Punjab Assembly session, allowing for a free and fair election of the Punjab CM. Referring to the objection raised by LHC’s Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi, the PTI sought to quash the notification issued for the appointment of Hamza Shahbaz as CM because he would no longer have the majority of votes under Article 130(4) of the Constitution if the votes of PTI dissidents were excluded.
