Islamabad: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) have moved to the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) against the ruling of Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, which paved the way for Hamza Shehbaz to retain the seat of CM of Punjab.
On Friday, Punjab Assembly’s session took place to elect a new CM.
PTI and PMLQ’s candidate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi bagged 186 votes, while PMLN’s Hamza Shehbaz received 179 votes.
However, Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari discarded 10 votes cast in favour of Pervez Elahi by PMLQ members, citing that he had received a letter from PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat who through the letter directed them not to vote for PTI’s candidate.
Dost Muhammad Mazari said that he personally had contacted Chaudhry Shujaat to confirm the letter.
After this, the deputy speaker cited Article 63A of the Constitution and rejected 10 votes cast by PMLQ lawmakers.
PTI’s Raja Basharat engaged in a heated argument with Mazari and said that the deputy speaker could not disregard the 10 votes. He argued this was completely in contradiction with the Constitution of Pakistan which clearly states that it is the “parliamentary leader” and not the “party head” who takes the decision.
This eventually gave the win to Hamza Shehbaz who became the CM with the lead of only 3 votes.
After Mazari’s ruling, the leaders of the PTI and the PMLQ filed a petition against the CM Punjab election.
Pervez Elahi’s counsel Aamir Saeed Rawn filed the petition in the SC Lahore Registry late at night, in which Hamza Shahbaz, Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari and the chief secretary have been made parties.
While talking to the media, Aamir Saeed said Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari had interpreted the SC verdict wrong, therefore, Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) should take Sou Motu notice.
