Pakistan Views

Punjab Assembly Saturday announced the schedule for the election of new chief minister of the province, after which the session was adjourned today (Saturday) at the order given by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.

Punjab Assembly session will be convened tomorrow at 10am to elect the new chief minister of the province, as Dost Mohammed Khosa has tendered his resignation to Punjab Governor.

It should be mentioned that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif was elected unopposed from PP-48, Bhakkar and took oath on Friday as the member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) and PA speaker Rana Mohammed Iqbal administered oath.

The caretaker Punjab CM Dost Mohammed Khosa said Shahbaz Sharif will rise to the expectations of the people as Punjab CM.

Shahbaz is all set to be elected as Punjab CM by the provincial assembly tomorrow (Sunday). After taking oath from the assembly, he will take vote of confidence from the assembly on June 9.

After the session was over yesterday, Dost Mohammed Khosa tendered his resignation to Governor Salman Taseer, who accepted it and directed him to continue working as the CM until Shahbaz is sworn in as the new CM. Salman Taseer will administer oath to Shahbaz Sharif tomorrow at Governor House.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari felicitated Shahbaz Sharif on his taking oath as MPA and assured him of his cooperation.

Lahore High Court full bench has summoned Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif on June 18 on a petition filed against allowing Sharifs to contest election. The full bench after hearing the petition issued notices to Sharif brothers.The court asked the petitioner’s counsel whether the petition could be maintainable after the election commission’s notification about election of Mian Shahbaz Sharif. The court further inquired whether petitioner Khurram Shah was eligible to file petition against Shahbaz Sharif. The court however didn’t grant the pleas requesting orders prohibiting Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif from contesting the elections till further court orders.

Following unopposed election of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Mian Shahbaz Sharif as MPA from PP-48 (Bhakkar-II), the PML-N led coalition government has commenced efforts for summoning the Punjab Assembly session to pave the way for Shahbaz’s oath as member of the Punjab Assembly.
The sources close to the PML-N circles told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has asked the officials of Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department to prepare a summary for the governor for summoning the Punjab Assembly session.
These sources claimed that Shahbaz Sharif may take oath as Punjab chief minister before the budget session of the Punjab Assembly. However, the Punjab Assembly session, which is being called for the oath of Shahbaz Sharif, will continue till the budget of the provincial assembly is finally approved, the sources added. It may be mentioned that Shahbaz was elected as MPA from PP-48 unopposed when all other contesting candidates withdrew their nomination papers. The seat of PP-48 was vacated by Saeed Akbar Khan Niwani who had been elected as an MPA from two constituencies-PP-48 Bhakkar-II and PP-49 Bhakkar-III. Later, Niwani retained PP-49 seat and vacated PP-48.
The sources also claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan has also issued a notification regarding unopposed election of Shahbaz Sharif from PP-48. Moreover, sources said that the Pakistan Muslim League-N is still trying to persuade the PPP for reinstatement of the deposed judges in accordance with the Murree Declaration. “There is no change in the PML-N stance on the issue of restoration of judges,” the sources said.
Shahbaz Sharif who is former chief minister was considered a very strict administrator and good chief minister of Punjab. He was ousted in the 1999 military coup, which brought Pervez Musharraf to power. Before his oath as CM, his presence is still felt in the bureaucratic circles, the sources said.
Shahbaz also lived in exile in London after coming from Saudi Arabia. Shahbaz once tried coming back to Pakistan following a High Court decision that he was free to come back whenever he wanted. On May 11, 2004 his plane landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore but he was arrested and again deported to Saudi Arabia within a few hours.
According to the PML-N sources, Mian Shahbaz Sharif was elected president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) on 3rd August 2002 while on exile in Saudi Arabia. He was re-elected president of PML (N) for the second term on 2nd August 2006. He was once thought of as a strong future candidate for Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is set to meet president Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif to discuss the constitutional package and issue of reinstatement of deposed judges.
Talking to media personnel PML-N leader Khawaja Asif said that both leaders will hold talks to discuss the constitutional package formed by PPP.
Asif said PML-N has 2-3 majority to remove president, however PPP has to agree on this matter.
Talking about the lawyer’s movement he said that their decision to start long march will be fruitful.
On the occasion another PML-N senior leader Javed Hashmi informed media that constitutional package need to amend and it has not finalize yet.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has allowed PML-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif to contest By-elections.The EC announced the decision after a split verdict of Lahore High Court’s Election Tribunal judges over petitions filed against Sharif Brothers. The case was referred to the Chief Election Commissioner by the tribunal who today issued a detailed verdict in this regard. The verdict said since the tribunal could not settle the petition filed against Sharif Brothers in specified period of time, therefore, the decision of returning officer should be considered final. The EC has also rejected appeal against the candidature of Sharif Brothers.

The tribunal hearing the petition against the nomination papers of Sharif Brothers could not reach a consensus verdict today. Now the Chief of Election Commissioner of Pakistan (CEC) will make the final decision regarding the eligibility.The case regarding the objections against Mian Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers for taking part in by-polls has been sent to the CEC, as the two judges hearing the petition against the nomination of Sharif Brothers had different opinions in this connection.Talking to media, Nawaz’s lawyer Ashtar Ausaf said Justice Nasim Tariq held both the brothers eligible for taking part in the elections.Ashtar said the tribunal is not authorized to send the case to CEC and he cannot review the case, adding both the brothers can contest the elections on the decision by Returning Officer.Ashtar said according to Justice Akram Qureshi, the Sharif Brothers are not eligible to contest the polls.Nawaz’s lawyer said the appeal which is not decided on its appointed date is deemed legally dismissed.

Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the incident in which the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was found pressurizing a judge to reject the nomination papers of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. In a statement released on Monday, Zardari termed the rejection of the papers of PML-N leaders was undemocratic and distasteful. The actions of PML-Q led government in the past had always been dubious and it was known for use of negative tactics to cling to power he said and added that People of Pakistan had given a clear verdict in the elections 2008 but some people had refused to learn from that.He stressed that such behind the scene manoeuvrings should be discouraged by all political forces and the journey towards a better and prosperous Pakistan should start with a broad national reconciliation. “Democracy means providing an opportunity to the people to choose who they want to see in their government, It’s not about limiting their choices by putting unfair hurdles in the way of popular political leadership,” he added.

An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Monday (today) approved appeals for hearing in which the petitioners had challenged the decision of returning officers to allow Sharif brothers to contest the by-elections. An election tribunal comprised of Justice Mian Najam-uz-Zaman and Justice Tariq Shamim heard the appeals. The rival candidate challenging the candidature of Nawaz Sharif from NA-52, Rawalpindi said that Nawaz could not contest the election because he has been convicted in airplane conspiracy and the helicopter case. The election tribunal approved the appeal for hearing and issued notice to Mian Nawaz Sharif. The hearing of the case was adjourned till May 28.The election tribunal also heard appeals against approval of nomination of Mian Shahbaz Sharif in which the rival candidates assailing the candidature of Shahbaz alleged him violating the exile undertaking. The court ordered the petitioners to submit the undertaking before the court.

Muslim League-Q candidates have filed petitions in election tribunals against approval of nomination papers of Muslim League-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif from Rawalpindi. PML-Q candidates Raja Nasir and Malik Mehboob Elahi have filed petitions in the election tribunal comprises of Justice Mian Najam-uz-Zaman and Justice Tariq Shameem. The petitioners have pleaded that Sharifs were ineligible to contest elections due to their involvement in the contempt of court case and hijacking conspiracy.
The tribunal is likely to hear the petitions on Wednesday.

President Pakistan Muslim League-N, Mian Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that if Pakistan People’s Party is honest in its commitment towards the restoration of deposed judges, then it should come up with such a bill that is also acceptable to lawyers.According to a private News channel, he expressed these remarks while addressing an informal meeting of his party. Shahbaz Sharif expressed the hope that the pro-democratic forces having positive thinking would overcome the negative and conspiring ones.He said his party had joined the government under Bhurban Declaration. About PML-N resignations from the federal cabinet he said that they had no other choice but to quit the government as the promise to the nation was not fulfilled.