ISLAMABAD – Soon after PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz was removed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was sworn in as new chief minister of Punjab.
President Arif Alvi administered oath to Elahi at a late night ceremony at the Presidency in Islamabad.
Earlier, the Supreme Court declared Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab chief minister election case illegal.
Mazari had declared Hamza winner even though he received 179 votes against Elahi who received 186 votes in the run-off election for Punjab chief minister’s office on July 22.
ایوان صدر میں وزیر اعلیٰ پنجاب چوہدری پرویز الٰہی کی تقریب حلف برداری pic.twitter.com/Yg3Ne4rlEk
— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) July 26, 2022
A three-member SC bench consisting of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar had initially ordered Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer oath to Elahi.
However, he refused to perform his duties and consequently President Arif Alvi administered the oath.
After Punjab Governor’s refusal, Elahi left for Islamabad late Tuesday night to take oath from Alvi as per the Supreme Court’s orders.
چوہدری پرویز الٰہی وزیر اعلٰی پنجاب کا حلف لینے کیلئے اسلام آباد پہنچ گئے۔ pic.twitter.com/FwM99YArhQ
— Ch Parvez Elahi (@ChParvezElahi) July 26, 2022
According to reports, President Alvi had sent a special aircraft to bring Elahi to Islamabad for the oath ceremony.
The Supreme Court said in the 11-page short order, “We find that the understanding and implementation of the said short judgment as well as the provisions of Article 63A(1)(b) of the Constitution by the Deputy Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab, Lahore (Respondent No.1) was patently incorrect and erroneous and cannot be sustained.”
The order then declared Elahi as the duly elected chief minister of Punjab as he had obtained 186 votes compared to Hamza’s 179.
