ISLAMABAD: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi moved the Supreme Court Tuesday to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz Sharif for violating its order passed on July 1.
Pervaiz Elahi filed a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 204 of the Constitution read with sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003. He prayed the court to summon the respondents and punish them for violating its July 1 order on a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf challenging the order of the Lahore High Court.
Pervaiz Elahi submitted that the election on 20 vacant seats had been held accordingly and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) i.e. the allied party of the petitioner secured the requisite majority according to the unofficial results of the election and the petitioner and his allies were in comfortable position to form the government in the province as decided by the sovereigns of the state, the public at large.
He informed the court that in pursuant to the order of the august court, preparation for the election of the chief minister of Punjab was underway without any hurdle and the petitioner was determined to hold elections and business of assembly in a peaceful, just, transparent manner in accordance with the Constitution and the law strictly as well as in accordance with spirit of the court order.
“The respondents after losing the majority in the house have become unnerved and showing extreme anger and frustration,” Elahi submitted, adding that Hamza Shehbaz Sharif acting in a reckless, unconstitutional and unlawful manner threatened to remove members belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies.
He further submitted that Hamza had blatantly flouted the directions by appearing in a press conference on July 18, along with Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.
He stated, “The statement of Rana Sanaullah abuses, interferes with and obstructs the process of the court as the same is to be considered as obstruction to the implementation of the court order and it amounted to creating constitutional vacuum, anomaly or complication, and would keep the citizens of Punjab deprived of due representation and governance.”
Pervaiz Elahi submitted that the court had also directed the state functionaries to refrain from any interference, inducement or influence in the affairs to any person (natural as well as legal) in the process of by-elections. “The threatening statements by the Interior Minister has caused great fear and hostility towards members of the allied parties”, he submitted.
He further submitted that Hamza Shehbaz Sharif had categorically assured the august court for peaceful election of the chief minister on behalf of his party as well, therefore, he was fully responsible for any disregard of the order passed by the august court in letter and spirit and being the head of the provincial administration he was responsible to provide fair, free and just conditions to hold elections strictly in accordance with the direction passed by the court.
On July 1, a three-member bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial, had held that the re-election of chief minister would be held on July 22 after by-elections on 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly after the ECP had de-seated 20 MPAs of PTI for defection.
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