LAHORE: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has decided not to take oath as Chief Minister from Hamza Shahbaz even today.
The Governor Punjab will also brief the President Dr. Arif Alvi on the situation.
Citing sources, reported that a consultative meeting was held regarding the swearing in of Hamza Shahbaz, in which it was decided to use all options against the court order and constitutional experts filed an intra against the High Court decision.
In this regard, the constitutional experts while briefing the Governor said that the court cannot go beyond the constitutional limits and cannot issue orders to the President or the Governor.
It may be recalled that the Chief Justice Lahore High Court has ruled on the petition of Hamza Shahbaz regarding his swearing in which it has been said that the newly elected Chief Minister of Punjab should take oath by himself or through a representative till tomorrow.
After the completion of arguments yesterday, the court had reserved judgment in the case.
During the hearing, Hamza Shahbaz’s lawyer Ashtar Osaf, while giving arguments, said that the president was deliberately not implementing the court’s decision.
In his remarks, he asked why the court should not use its constitutional authority to nominate a person for oath.
The court summoned the Attorney General and Advocate General Punjab for assistance in the matter while ordering the Additional Attorney General to appear with instructions from the federal government.
The court had reserved judgment in the case after the federal side presented its position in the court, which was announced today.
The court order should be sent to the Governor of Punjab immediately.
It may be recalled that the newly elected Chief Minister of Punjab Hamza Shahbaz again approached the Lahore High Court on the issue of non-swearing in of oath.
Hamza Shahbaz took a stand in his petition that the court had issued the verdict on April 22 in view of the difficulties faced by the citizens and directed the President to take immediate steps to take oath from the elected Chief Minister.
But the president is delaying the order without any reason, in this situation there is no other way but to exercise constitutional jurisdiction.
The newly elected Punjab Chief Minister further said that the President of Pakistan belongs to a political party but the President is bound to carry out his duties as the head without any political pressure.
Disrespecting the law, the court chairman directed the senate to take oath from the newly elected chief minister.