June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

LAHORE, June 19: A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday announced holding of ex parte proceedings in petitions challenging the candidature of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The bench, comprising Justice Fazl-i-Miran Chohan, Justice Hasnat Ahmad Khan and Justice Ahsan Bhoon, also directed the counsel for petitioners to file a reply to applications several “stakeholders” had filed for becoming a party. The Punjab Assembly Speaker, the Punjab government, Nawaz Sharif’s proposer and AK Dogar advocate had filed the applications.

They said it was their right to become party to the proceedings against the Sharifs because the case pertained to public importance and involved fundamental rights.

On Wednesday, after hearing detailed arguments on these applications, the bench announced that it would decide whether to allow them to give arguments in favour of the Sharifs.

The journalists kept waiting for the decision well after 6pm on Wednesday, when finally court officials said the judgment would be made public on Thursday. But the bench gave verbal directives to petitioners on Thursday to file their reply to the applications on Friday.