LAHORE, July 23(ABC): The Supreme Court is hearing the PTI and PML-Q’s joint petition against Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab chief minister’s election.
A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — is holding the hearing at the Supreme Court’s (Lahore Registry).
The deputy speaker rejected 10 votes of the PML-Q, citing the apex court’s opinion in the presidential reference for the interpretation of Article 63A, dealing a major blow to Pervez Elahi and paving the way for Hamza Shahbaz to retain the chief minister’s slot.
Opposition (PTI and PML-Q) candidate Elahi managed to receive 186 votes, but after the deputy speaker’s ruling, the PML-Q leader got only 176 votes, whereas Hamza received 179 votes.
The petition was filed late last night after the Opposition — which was confident of a victory — suffered the setback and vowed to challenge the ruling.
