LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against PML-N supreme leader MNA Nawaz Sharif for chairing administrative meetings of the Punjab government.

Mr Sharif, who is a three-time prime minister, presided over three back-to-back administrative meetings of the provincial government without holding any official position in either the provincial or federal government, Advocate Nadeem Sarwar said in his petition.

The lawyer argued that chairing the meetings by the respondent raised constitutional questions since he is officially only a MNA.

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He said it is widely believed that Mr Sharif is calling the shots on all major decisions despite having no official role in the province. The photo of Mr. Sharif on the flour bags being distributed to the needy under the Ramazan relief package is proof of his involvement in the government affairs.

ECP notice to SIC MNA suspended

The petitioner asked the court to declare illegal the act of the respondent MNA chairing meetings and exercising executive authority and all directions issued by him.

He also urged the court to restrain the respondent from chairing any meeting or issuing directions to cabinet and state functionaries in future.

The hearing of the petition is fixed for Thursday (today) before Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir.

PHOTO: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Punjab government and sought a reply on a petition against distribution of flour bags bearing the photo of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif under the Ramazan package.

Justice Shahid Karim heard the petition filed by citizen Munir Ahmad questioning Nawaz Sharif’s image on the flour bags.

Petitioner’s counsel Azhar Siddique stated that the public money cannot be used for personal publicity by the rulers.

He said the flour bags were being distributed among the underprivileged in an ‘objectionable’ manner against the dignity of the citizens.

He asked the court to restrain the government from using Nawaz Sharif’s image on flour bags and ensure no one’s self-respect hurts for the distribution of flour.

The judge adjourned the hearing for a week.

ECP notice: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday suspended a notice of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) MNA Dr Azeemuddin Zahid Lakhvi on an application for vote recount in his constituency, NA-133, Kasur.

Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza passed the order on a petition filed by the SIC MNA.

A counsel for the petitioner argued that his client was declared successful as a PTI-backed independent candidate from NA-133 in the Feb 8 election. He said the petitioner defeated Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan of PML-N by a margin of 10,757 votes and later joined the SIC.

The counsel stated that the ECP constituted appellate tribunals to hear the election petitions against the returned candidates.

He argued that applications for recounting of votes could not be filed after the constitution of the appellate tribunals. However, the ECP ‘unlawfully’ entertained one such plea by the defeated candidate in the petitioner’s constituency, the counsel said.

He said the ECP also issued a notice to the petitioner requiring his appearance.

He asked the court to set aside the impugned notice for being unlawful.

The judge suspended the notice and sought a reply from the ECP within a fortnight.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024