Pak: Punjab CM Hamza Shehbaz in trouble as Opposition plans his 'ouster'
May 19, 2022
Lahore [Pakistan], May 19 : Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi and former federal minister Moonis Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), on Wednesday, reviewed the joint strategy meeting to oust CM Hamza Shehbaz with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf's Punjab leaders at their residence.
This comes after the Supreme Court of Pakistan released a verdict against Punjab CM Hamza and declared that votes of defecting lawmakers won't be counted.
In view of this development, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said it is ready to go for a run-off election for a new chief minister if such a situation arises in light of the SC verdict, Dawn reported.
In a statement to Dawn, PML-N deputy secretary-general Ataullah Tarar said: "In case the PTI proves (in the Election Commission of Pakistan) that its parliamentary meeting was held and the lawmakers were advised to vote for Chaudhry Parvez Elahi (the joint PTI-PML-Q candidate for CM), we still have the majority to win the run-off election for the office."
Meanwhile, the former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry of the PTI said that after the SC's verdict no government existed in Punjab as the provincial politics of Pakistan continue to remain in shambles.
"The PTI has decided in principle to file a petition in court to oust Hamza in light of the apex court's decision," he said, adding that despite losing the votes of '26 PTI lotas (turncoats)', the PTI-PML-Q still had a majority in the Punjab Assembly with 173 votes, while the PML-N had 172.
"The SC's verdict in the Mustafa Impex case has decided that a government in a province comprises a chief minister and the cabinet. The CM alone cannot take administrative and financial decisions, thus there is no government in Punjab at the moment and any such decision by Hamza is against the law," he added further.
Additionally, PML-N Punjab secretary general Awais Leghari has asked President Dr. Arif Alvi to play his role to end the constitutional crisis in Punjab and appoint a governor so that a provincial cabinet could be formed.
The meeting not only demanded Hamza vacate the CM office immediately but also released a statement that read, "The fake government of Hamza Shehbaz has come to an end after the decision of the SC. At present, the status of Hamza in the chief minister's house is nothing, but that of an occupant," Dawn reported.
The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, announced its ruling over the presidential reference on the interpretation of Article 63 (A), announcing that defective votes will not be counted in the Assembly as the decision raised serious questions over the legitimacy of the Punjab government and CM Humza Shehbaz, as he was elected with the help of defecting PTI members' votes.
