Disqualification reference against MPA: LHC issues notices to AGP, AG Punjab for February 20

The Lahore High Court here on Tuesday issued notices to Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) and Advocate General Punjab in a petition pleading the court to order Speaker Punjab Assembly to forward a disqualification reference against PML-Q MPA Saba Sadiq to chief election commissioner.
Petitioner's counsel Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday (today) would resume his arguments again. The judge issued notices to top government lawyers for February 20. The petition was filed by leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, who is also PML-Q secretary general. Petitioner approached the court after the Speaker PA allegedly declined to send disqualification reference against PML-Q MPA Saba Sadiq's to CEC on some technical grounds.
Earlier, Justice Umar Ata Bandial had disposed of the same petition while directing the petitioner to file reference again before the speaker after removing the objection for which the same was not forwarded to election commission. The judge had also directed the speaker Punjab assembly to proceed on the petitioner's recommendations according to law.
Now, the petitioner has filed a fresh petition submitting that in the light of court's earlier directives the reference against MPA Saba Sadiq was filed before the speaker but the same was not forwarded to election commission. Counsel pleaded that the speaker had no power to hold a reference in abeyance beyond the limit prescribed in the constitution.