SC again issues notice to Elahi over Hamza’s review plea

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday again issued notice to former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in a matter related to ex-deputy speaker’s ruling regarding chief minister’s election.

A seven-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan heard the review petition of former chief minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz Sharif against the apex court judgment on Article 63-A of the Constitution, setting aside the ruling of former deputy speaker Punjab Assembly. Other members of the bench included Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan. The bench had issued notice to Parvez Elahi on January 6. However, the court staff informed on Thursday that although Elahi was issued a notice, it has not been responded to till date. Justice Mazhar questioned whether anything was left in the case that the petitioner had sought review.

“When the verdict on Article 63-A remained no more, then what is left in this case”, Justice Mazhar remarked.

Haris Azmat, counsel for Hamza Shahbaz, however, submitted before the court that the verdict regarding the election of chief minister Punjab was still intact that was why hearing in the matter was necessary. Later, the court again issued notice to Parvez Elahi and adjourned the hearing for date-in-office (indefinite period). In August, 2022, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif had filed a review petition against the apex court judgment delivered on July 26, 2022 setting aside the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling wherein 10 votes of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were discarded, which led to Hamza’s victory as the provincial chief executive. The Supreme Court in its judgment thwarted former deputy speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Mohammad Mazari’s decision, declaring Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi as the new chief minister of Punjab.