After a nail-biting climax that appeared as clear as day, the PML-N on Friday won a dramatic victory against the PTI that few had predicted in the Punjab chief minister’s election, retaining the throne of Punjab after surviving its closest brush with loss in the political heartland.
Warmed in the nick of time by a letter from PML-Q head Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain — instructing his MPAs to vote for PML-N’s candidate — Hamza Shehbaz was declared a victor after Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari ruled that PML-Q members’ votes were not counted in light of party head’s letter.
According to Mazari, Hamza received 179 votes whereas Elahi garnered 176 votes, but only after 10 votes of Elahi’s party were not counted, which turned the tables in Hamza’s favor.
In line with the ruling of the Supreme Court verdict on Article 63-A related to the defection clause, the deputy speaker said he had rejected the votes of PML-Q lawmakers.
However, PTI leader Raja Basharat challenged the deputy speaker’s ruling, saying as custodian of the house he could not reject the lawmakers’ votes.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has filed a petition against the Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly ruling in Chief Minister Punjab election in the Supreme Court’s (SC) Lahore Registry on Saturday.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard the petition filed by Elahi. But, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a ruling alliance on Monday demanded the formation of a full court bench of the Supreme Court for a hearing petition regarding the election of Chief Minister Punjab, saying this would defeat all conspiracies against democracy and democratic culture.
However, The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the coalition government’s request for the formation of a full court. The hearing of the case was adjourned till 11:30 am today (Tuesday).
