ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader and senior advocate Babar Awan on Friday said Hamza Shahbaz was unconstitutionally a conditional chief minister till re-election for the post of Punjab chief minister on June 22.
Addressing a press conference outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Babar Awan said Hamza Shahbaz was a temporary and interim chief minister. Veteran PTI leaders Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry were also present on the occasion.
Asad Umar said the PTI’s stance was that the Punjab government was illegitimate. After high court, he said, the apex court had also said that Hamza’s election was illegal. He said the PTI had accepted Hamza’s temporary status as CM in a bid to resolve the political crisis.
He said now they were waiting for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue a notification on the seats of defected members of the PTI’s Punjab Assembly members.
The PTI leader blamed that the state machinery had been used till then in Punjab. He said the PML-N had eyed its defeat as the SC had directed to hold transparent election. He alleged that Hamza Shahbaz was a selected CM not an elected one.
Fawad Chaudhry said the people of Punjab had got another chance.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday said re-polling for the slot of Punjab chief minister would be held in the Punjab Assembly on July 22 and till then Hamza Shahbaz would remain the CM.
Read more: Re-polling for Punjab CM slot to be held on July 22: top court
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial said a detailed verdict in this regard would be issued later.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had summoned Hamza Shehbaz and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi via video link in the Punjab chief minister election case at SC Registry in Lahore.
During the hearing, the top judge queried if he could ask something from Hamza Shahbaz. He asked if Hamza had an intention of rigging the poll. Upon which, peals of laughter rang out throughout the court.
Hamza stepped up onto the rostrum and said he had no such intention.
Justice Aijaz ul Ahsan said there was a code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting election.
The chief justice ordered to implement the ECP’s code of conduct. He said they were not deciding a family dispute. Both the sides should show some grace and let the decision take place in the house, Justice Aijaz said.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked Hamza if he had any intention to harass members of the house. The Punjab CM replied that he would not harass anybody. “I am a political worker and have spent time in jail. I will ensure transparent election,” he said. The CJ said he would not use the word of caretaker chief minister for Hamza. “We will use such wordings which would be acceptable for all,” he said.
Justice Aijaz said the court would issue a comprehensive verdict and would not go into minor details. He said both the parties should contest in the arena. Whoever would be better, he will win, he added.
The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was hearing appeals of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against different single-bench decisions regarding the election and oath-taking of CM Shehbaz.
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