LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought replies from the provincial government and assistance of the advocate general of Punjab on a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) challenging an ordinance issued by the governor clipping powers of the Punjab Assembly speaker.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi will resume hearing in the petition on Friday (today) along with an already pending petition by PA speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against the same ordinance.

The petition moved by PTI MPA Zainab Umar stated that the governor in an arbitrary manner prorogued the 40th session of the assembly and called 41st session immediately in dire violation of the Constitution. It said this act was in sheer violation of the Constitution as well as in violation of the oath of different functionaries as stipulated through the 3rd schedule under article(s) 42, 91 (1), 92 (2), 53 (2), 61, 65, 102, 130 (5), 132 (2) and 127 of the Constitution.

The petition argued that the governor promulgated the Punjab Laws (Repealing and Removal of Difficulties) Ordinance 2022 in haste and pursuant to mala fide intention to pass the annual budget by keeping the opposition benches away from the requisite process in an unconstitutional manner. It said the Punjab government slashed powers of the speaker through the impugned ordinance.

The petition asked the court to set aside the ordinance promulgated by the governor for being unconstitutional.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2022