PTI leaders declare LHC ruling ‘great victory’, demand general elections

ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict in the case of Hamza Shahbaz's election as the chief minister of Punjab, PTI senior leader Shireen Mazari declared it a “great victory for constitution & law”.

A political storm that had been brewing in Punjab gained in intensity on Thursday after the LHC accepted the PTI's petitions challenging Hamza Shehbaz's election as Punjab chief minister.

A five-member larger bench of the LHC, headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan, and comprising Justice Shahid Jamil, Justice Shehram Sarwar, Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh announced the verdict while accepting the party's pleas against Hamza's election as CM.

In a split decision, four judges, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan, Justice Shahid Jamil, and Justice Shehram Sarwar were in favour of the ruling, while Justice Sethi raised some objections. Meanwhile, the court disposed of PML-Q's pleas.

Taking to Twitter, Shireen Mazari wrote: “PTI stands vindicated as Hamza Sharif no more CM - one more plank of US regime change conspiracy falls.”

“Imported government in Punjab gone!” she said and warned the police and bureaucracy to stop their “politicised actions & harassment” of PTI workers and leaders.

‘Buzdar has been reinstated as the caretaker CM’: Fawad

Former information and broadcasting minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain stated that "if Hamza is no longer the chief minister, then Usman Buzdar has been reinstated as the caretaker chief minister."

“Elections for a new CM in this assembly are very difficult. New elections are the only way [to move forward], he added.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan, taking to Twitter, wrote: "At present, there is a constitutional crisis in Punjab. The election of the chief minister is illegal and violates the constitution. The constitution was disregarded. The court later ruled that defectors' votes would not be counted."

Former minister of state for information and broadcasting, Farrukh Habib said: "The votes of 25 turncoats will not be counted, according to the Supreme Court's decision. This means that the PML-N did not have a simple majority of 186 votes on April 16, and no party now has a majority. Five reserved seats have yet to be filled."