The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued notices to Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, the Attorney General for Pakistan and others on the second petition filed by the PTI requesting the court to declare the PML-N leader’s election as CM “illegal” and to restrain him from working in that capacity.
Hamza was elected as the Punjab CM on April 16, during a provincial assembly session that was marred by mayhem. He received a total of 197 votes — 11 more than the required 186 — including from 25 dissident PTI MPAs that were crucial for his victory. Since then, a series of petitions have challenged Hamza’s election as the chief minister, with two from the PTI, and one from the PML-Q.
The PTI first approached the LHC last month on May 19. That petition was filed by five Punjab Assembly members of the party — Mohammad Sibtain Khan, Zainab Umair, Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal, Syed Abbas Ali Shah and Ahsan Saleem Baryar — and is being heard by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti.
The following day, Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi also submitted his petition.
