LHC allows suspended PML-N MPAs to cast votes on VNC against CM Elahi

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday allowed the suspended lawmakers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to attend the crucial Punjab Assembly session for the no-confidence motion filed by the joint opposition against Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Aaj News reported.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan had banned 18 PML-N lawmakers for 15 sessions for their unruly conduct during the session in October.

According to the provincial assembly order, the opposition members started hue and cry when former CM Punjab Usman Buzdar was called to move his resolution.

The lawmakers started raising slogans and made derogatory remarks against the leadership of PTI and the chair when the speaker requested them not to disrupt the house’s proceedings.

Later, in pursuance of the powers vested in him in terms of rule 210 of the Assembly Rules, the speaker barred the lawmakers from attending 15 consecutive sittings of the house.

However, a day after filing the no-trust motion against the Punjab CM, the lawmakers challenged the October 23 order of the speaker.

A two-member bench of the LHC comprising Justice Shahid Bilal and Justice Risal Hassan heard the petition, seeking the court’s intervention to allow lawmakers to attend and exercise their democratic rights during the upcoming session of the provincial assembly on December 21.

During the course of proceedings, PML-N MPA Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan’s counsel argued that the speaker can suspend a lawmaker for 15 days after giving two warnings to the MPA.

“However, the suspension of the lawmakers for 15 sessions is unconstitutional,” the lawyer argued. The speaker’s counsel had termed the application unmaintainable.

In short order, the court allowed the suspended lawmakers to attend the next session of the house and cast their votes

The no-confidence motion was moved against the chief minister days after PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies would be dissolved on December 23.