After a late-night chaotic Punjab Assembly session in which Chief Minister Parvez Elahi won the lawmakers’ confidence.
Lahore High Court Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh said Thursday that the trust vote issue had been resolved. Justice Abid made these remarks while leading a five-member bench hearing Parvez Elahi’s petition challenging Governor Baligh Ur Rehman’s order denotifying the PML-Q leader as chief minister.
Justice Abid is joined by Justices Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Muzamil Akhtar Shabir, and Asim Hafeez.
In Today’s proceedings, chief minister’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar informed the bench that his client had voted for confidence. He said 186 members trusted Parvez Elahi.
The governor’s counsel informed the bench that the chief minister had taken the vote of confidence.
“Is the governor satisfied with the vote of confidence?” Justice Abid asked.
The lawyer urged the bench to record the assembly proceedings.
Justice Abid asked Zafar if the CM’s lawyer wanted to continue hearing the petition after Elahi’s floor test.
Zafar agreed that the petition was ineffective after the vote of confidence. Still, he wanted to argue on the governor’s notification as a “matter of principle,” adding that the governor should have given reasons to remove the CM and cabinet.
Zafar claimed the governor’s notification was illegal.
Justice Abid stated that the vote of confidence issue had been resolved, but the bench had to decide if the governor’s notification was legal.
Justice Hafeez stated that the matter would be resolved if Zafar challenged the governor’s order’s legality.
Justice Abid said the LHC must investigate everything.
Barrister Zafar argued that the governor’s de-notification order was illegal and requested a ruling.
Justice Abid then said the bench had three questions, and Elahi had taken a vote of confidence on one.
Zafar offered to help the LHC with time.
“The third question is if the session is not held, can the chief minister be sent home for not taking the vote of confidence?” Justice Abid asked. The court can also challenge the governor’s vote of confidence date.
LHC took a 30-minute break.
The governor’s lawyer asked for time to consult with his client after the hearing resumed.
