LAHORE: Justice Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court on Monday referred a set of petitions against the election of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz to the chief justice (CJ) with a request to fix them before a larger bench already seized with a matter of oath of the CM.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Waheed observed that a larger bench had already been hearing appeals against the orders relating to the oath taking of the chief minister. He said the bench sought arguments on the enforcement of the Supreme Court opinion relating to article 63-A of the Constitution.

The judge noted that the petitions fixed before him also involved similar questions of law. Therefore, he said, it would be appropriate to place the matter before the larger bench. The judge sent the petitions to the CJ with a request to fix them before the larger bench, which is set to resume its hearing on June 28.

The petitions filed by the MPAs of the PTI and PML-Q argued that the CM election was conducted by the deputy speaker in light of the orders passed by the high court and relying on aid from the Punjab police and administration.

It alleged that the session of the assembly was held after severe beating of the members of PTI and PML-Q. It alleged that Parvez Elahi, the candidate for the chief minister office, was also roughed up and suffered injuries.

The petitions said Hamza was declared a returned candidate by obtaining highest votes including 25 votes of the defectors. It asked the court to declare the election of Hamza unlawful in view of the opinion given by the Supreme Court about article 63-A of the Constitution and the votes of the defectors.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022