The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema to take oath from newly elected Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz till tomorrow or to nominate someone else as his representative for the job.
The court has read out today the reserved judgment on the application of Hamza Shahbaz for swearing in as Punjab Chief Minister, today.
Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Amir Bhatti read out the reserved judgment.
The written decision remarked that after the acceptance of the resignation of former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar, the province has been running without a functioning government for the last 25 days.
On the other hand The excuse is being delayed which is not only against the democratic values but also against the constitution.
The decision said that the Governor of Punjab should ensure the completion of the oath of office of the Chief Minister of Punjab on or before April 28 in accordance with Article 255 of the Constitution, either by himself or through his nominated representative.
The written decision further states that the President of Pakistan, who is bound by the constitutional obligation to facilitate the immediate administration of the oath of office of the Prime Minister or Chief Minister in any province, has therefore been made mandatory by the Constitution / Law.
It is advisable to play a role in ensuring a functioning provincial government in Punjab.
The decision directed the court’s office to fax the order to the governor’s office and the president’s office so that it could be presented to them.
It may be recalled that the Lahore High Court had yesterday reserved its judgment on the petition filed against Hamza Shahbaz for not taking oath as Chief Minister, which was to be pronounced at 10 am today.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) heard a petition filed by Hamza Shahbaz against non-implementation of the court order not to take oath as Chief Minister.
Chief Justice Amir Bhatti had heard the petition of Hamza Shahbaz. Earlier, the Lahore High Court had fixed for hearing a fresh petition on the issue of Hamza Shahbaz not taking oath.