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LAHORE:
After a long drawn legal and political battle, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Hamza Shahbaz was sworn-in as the chief minister of Punjab on Saturday.
The oath of office was administered to him by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, in accordance with the Lahore High Court’s order, at the Governor House in Lahore.
Federal ministers, members of Punjab Assembly and other political leaders were present at the ceremony.
Lahore High Court Justice Jawad Hassan on Friday had directed National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath to Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz by 11:30 am on Saturday (today).
Earlier, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti had passed orders twice. The first was to President Arif Alvi to nominate anyone for administering the oath to Hamza but the order was in vain. The second time, the LHC chief justice had advised the Punjab governor to ensure the swearing-in of Hamza, but the constitutional obligation was not followed.
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It was for the third time when the PML-N leader had knocked the LHC doors over not being administered his oath.
This time, the petitioner had requested the LHC to “nominate any person” for the administration of oath at the Punjab Governor House at a specified time and the coercive arm of the State should be set in motion for the implementation of the court orders.
Buzdar’s resignation ‘dismissed’
The Punjab governor dismissed former chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar’s resignation – hours before PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz was to be sworn in as the new CM – after which the former chief executive of the province immediately summoned a cabinet meeting at the Punjab Assembly.
Punjab Governor Umar Cheema wrote a letter to PA Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and stated that Buzdar’s resignation was dismissed on the basis of certain constitutional loopholes.