In a much anticipated hearing at the Lahore High Court just an hour ago, chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s lawyer was asked how much time he required to take the vote of confidence. Otherwise, the court remarked it would fix a date for the vote in the Punjab provincial assembly.
The petition against the removal of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi from the office of chief minister Punjab was heard by a five member bench, headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Lahore High Court.
During the hearing, Justice Abid inquired why the matter had not been resolved, on which Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said that all the issues would be resolved in the court.
The LHC remarked that, in the end, it is up to the assembly members to decide who can become their chief minister
The court inquired about the latest position, at which the lawyer of governor Punjab Balighur Rehman said that the court had given the chief minister enough time. To which the counsel replied that “adequate time” was not given. However, the court had also cleared the way for Elahi to take a vote of confidence.
Justice Abid remarked that the governor can ask the chief minister to take a vote of confidence, and in the end it is up to the assembly members to decide who can become the chief minister. “Maybe we set a date”, the judge remarked.
Addressing the lawyer for the chief minister, Justice Asim Hafeez said that he had been afforded every opportunity to take the vote of confidence in the preceding days, to which Barrister Ali Zafar answered that he would argue on legal points.
Justice Asim remarked, “no party is ready to touch the numbers, everyone is thinking that whoever does it first will have to fill it”
Barrister Zafar said that Pervez Elahi had become the Chief Minister only through votes. Appearing somewhat irked, Justice Asim said that the chief minister had 24 hours, during which he should be able to prove he has the support of 186 members.
Presenting the government’s position, attorney general Mansoor Usman Awan impleaded that it was necessary for the chief minister to take a vote on the governor’s request, since it is the governor’s constitutional authority to ask the chief minister to prove that he commands the confidence of a majority of assembly legislators.
The attorney general said that the matter had gone beyond the appropriated time, to which Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar said that he had not brought anything in writing. The attorney general replied that no one had stopped the chief minister from taking the vote of confidence, so what was the need of anything in writing?
Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh remarked, “If there is no consensus, we will decide the case on merit.”
It should be noted that just a day ago, PTI chairman Imran Khan had expressed serious misgivings about Chaudhry Pervez Elahi wanting to vacate the Punjab chief ministry.
