LAHORE: The Lahore High Court registrar office on Tuesday returned a petition of newly-elected Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz against Governor Punjab for delaying his oath-taking ceremony for being incomplete.

The registrar office asked the petitioner to attach some necessary documents with the petition and file it again in accordance with law. The petition stated that Governor Punjab Umar Sarfraz Cheema is not administering oath to the Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz. The newly-elected Chief Minister has further stated in the petition that it is a violation of law and the constitution of Pakistan that the oath is not being administered to him.

Hamza Shahbaz asked the court to direct the Punjab Governor to swear in the newly-elected Chief Minister.

Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema had declined to administer the oath to newly-elected Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, stating that the Punjab Assembly secretary’s report and the Lahore High Court’s instructions raised questions on the validity of the chief minister’s election.

Hamza Shahbaz was elected as 21st Chief Minister of the Punjab after grabbing 197 votes while his opponent Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Parvez Elahi did not receive any vote as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q lawmakers walked out of the assembly session.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022