LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought arguments on maintainability of a petition seeking disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on charges of facilitating GT Road rally of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, using public money and government machinery.

Pleading his petition, Advocate Shawar Khilji alleged that the chief minister violated the Constitution and his oath by using public money and state machinery for the rally of his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif. He argued that the chief minister was no more eligible to remain member of provincial assembly.

Additional Advocate General Khalid Waheed objected to maintainability of the petition and argued that it was based on personal assumptions of the petitioner-lawyer. He said the GT Road rally was held by a political party and the provincial government had nothing to do with it. He maintained that not a single penny from public money was used for the rally.

The law officer further argued that the high court was not the appropriate forum to seek disqualification of an assembly member. Speaker of the assembly and the election commission were the first remedies in the law, he added. Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh adjourned hearing of the petition till Sept 12 and directed the petitioner-lawyer to come up with more arguments and also some evidence to prove the allegations.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017