Hamza links his participation in run-off to presence of ‘required’ number of MPAs

LAHORE: Announcing that he had accepted the Supreme Court’s decision with an open heart, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz said on Friday that he would not stand in run-off election if did not have requisite number.

Talking to media on Friday, Hamza maintained that Punjab had been a victim of a constitutional crisis for the last three months. ”First the elections were postponed; afterward oath-taking was delayed. For two months, we did not have a cabinet. Being a political student, I believe that the amount of crisis Punjab has seen in these last three months, it can get an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records,” he said.

Hamza revealed that during the hearing, he apprised the court that he is a democratic person and have struggled for 27 years. “I told the honourable chief justice that if I didn’t have numbers for the run-off election, I wouldn’t even be standing here. I told them to hold the election right now.”

Hamza said during the by-elections on July 17, whichever party the public chose should be given the province’s charge. “Even on that day, whatever the public chooses, I will accept it,” he said.

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He further said that stance of Pervaiz Elahi and PTI was different before the court. He claimed that the PML-N enjoys public support and it will win bye-elections on July 17.

On the other hand, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Punjab chief minister election which will now be held on July 22. He said that all our demands have been accepted today.

Talking to the media, Elahi, who is competing for the post of Punjab’s chief executive alongside PML-N’s Hamza, hailed the top court’s order. “A good decision has been taken today in which all our demands have been met,” he said. “Even the chief justice appreciated that a consensus was reached amicably,” he remarked.

Briefing the media on the order, Elahi said that the court decided there would be no “use of police” or “victimisation” during the July 22 elections. “Everything will be held as per the rules of the assembly,” he said. “The chief minister election would now be held after the notifications for the 20 PA members and 5 reserved PTI seats are issued.”

Elahi asserted that the poll would be held in the assembly, adding that he would be responsible for ensuring that the house rules and election code of conduct was followed. He added that the verdict was a victory for democracy and the Constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022