LAHORE: A Lahore High Court larger bench on Monday adjourned hearing of appeals by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) against the oath taking of Chief Minister of Punjab Hamza Shehbaz as the counsel for the latter continued his arguments.

Advocate Mansoor Usman Awan, the counsel, argued that the then governor failed to fulfil his constitutional obligation by refusing to administer oath to the newly-elected chief minister. He said the governor had no power to examine any controversy regarding the election of the chief minister.

Asked about the fate of the chief minister if votes of the defectors were not counted as per the Supreme Court’s opinion, the counsel told the bench that the opinion rendered by the apex court could not be enforced retrospectively. He further said that the detailed decision of the apex court was yet to be issued.

The bench will resume its hearing on June 15.

The appeals filed by the PTI argued that the court had no jurisdiction to issue directions to the president of Pakistan and the governor. The appeals further argued that the PTI, speaker, governor and the president had not been given an opportunity of hearing by the court while issuing the impugned orders.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2022