Hamza Shehbaz to file petition in LHC against delay in oath administration

LAHORE: Hamza Shehbaz, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will submit a plea in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to be sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.

The petition filed by Hamza Shehbaz has included the Chief Secretary and the Governor of Punjab as parties.

The court was asked in the petition to order that his oath as CM be given as soon as possible.

Because of the delay in his oath-taking, the Prime Minister’s son petitioned the court, claiming that former CM Usman Bazdar’s resignation was accepted on April 1 and that the Chief Minister’s office has been empty since then.

The petition also claims that a constitutional crisis is being manufactured, which is contrary to parliamentary democracy and the constitution’s essence.

Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema had already declined to administer the oath to Hamza Shehbaz, citing the Punjab Assembly secretary’s report, the LHC’s directions, and “the evidence submitted” to him as reasons for his refusal.

It’s worth noting that the Punjab Assembly (PA) chose Hamza Shehbaz as the next chief minister on Saturday. Hamza Shehbaz was elected as the 21st Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous state, with 197 votes.