Staff Report
LAHORE: Chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday reconstituted a five-member larger bench to hear a petition filed by Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against his de-notification as chief minister of Punjab. The court adjourned the case hearing till 6 pm today.
The LHC bench has adjourned the case hearing till 6 pm after PTI lawyer Ali Zafar sought time to submit an affidavit that Punjab Assembly will not be dissolved without taking the court into confidence.
Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh said the court would not suspend the mandate of the Constitution.
The previous larger bench created on Friday morning fell apart after Justice Farooq Haider recused himself from hearing the case because of his past association with Elahi.
Subsequently, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh – who is leading the bench – sent the file back to the chief justice to reconstitute the bench.
Later on Friday, the bench was reconstituted under Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh.
In the new bench, Justice Asim Hafeez replaced Justice Farooq Haider.
Other bench members include Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, and Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir.
Punjab Assembly dissolution
Earlier, a five-member larger bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday started hearing a petition filed by Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi against the governor’s order which de-notified him as the provincial chief executive.
In the petition, Elahi maintained that the governor’s letter for taking a vote of confidence was written to someone other than the chief minister but the speaker.
He argued that the governor could only summon another session once the ongoing session was prorogued.
