The CJP insisted on personal presence of Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, who was represented by Irfan Qadir Advocate.
By Naveed Naqvi
LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has declared Hamza Shahbaz an interim chief minister of Pakistan’s most populous province, reverting his status as it stood on July 1, 2022, until the final judgement in the dispute over Friday’s runoff election.
As the three-member bench returned this afternoon for its second sitting over the case brought by losing candidate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the courtroom became overcrowded with lawyers and others. With people pushing and shoving one another to get closer to the bench, some window panes were broken. The CJP then moved hearing to video link.
Ifran Qadir appeared before the court representing Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari. The CJP asked him if he had his client’s power of attorney. Qadir answered in the affirmative, but retorted why the court had not asked that question of other attorneys representing various parties.
Bandial said the court desired to listen to Mazari in person. He should present himself along with the relevant record and defend his position, he said.
Returning to the impugned matter, the CJ said it was a legal question and could be chalked up to [Mazari’s] inexperience. He repeated his observation from the morning sitting that prima facie it was a matter of comprehension rather than interpretation.
Read our earlier story: Bandial summons Mazari over rejection of dissidents’ votes
It was brought to the court’s notice that Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, the candidate declared victorious in Friday’s runoff, had been administer the oath of office of chief minister by the Governor. The Supreme Court declared the oath invalid and adjourned the hearing until Monday.
Meanwhile in Islamabad, the Pakistan Democratic Front (PDM) called on the CJP to appoint the full court to hear the case – and other related matters pending with the court including a Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) review petition.
The CJP has already appointed a three-member bench headed by himself to hear the case at the apex court’s Lahore registry.
Separately, SCBA President Ahsan Bhoon has supported the PDM demand. He said that a few judges of the SCP were dishonouring their august institution through their verdicts, and that the demand for a full court to resolve this issue was justified.
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