Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan said he will try to decide the disqualification reference against Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif before February 19 after hearing arguments of the second party. The disqualification reference against the chief minister was filed by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) on January 20, and the PTI had been building up pressure on the speaker of Punjab Assembly since then.
It may be mentioned here that PTI had also boycotted the assembly proceedings for some days during the last session against what they called ‘biased’ approach of the speaker towards the opposition.
The disqualification reference against the CM was filed by former PTI Punjab president Ijaz Chaudhry and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed. Both of them received a letter from the speaker’s office that the hearing of the reference will be held on February 13 (Monday). The case of disqualification was argued before the speaker of Punjab Assembly by the counsel of PTI Dr Babar Awan on Monday. A heavy contingent of police was also deputed in the Punjab Assembly, as the protest of PTI was expected on the occasion. Almost all the lawmakers of PTI, including Sadia Sohail Rana, Dr Murad Ras, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Nabeela Hakim Ali, Shunila Ruth and opposition leader Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed were also present during the hearing of the disqualification reference.
Talking to media persons, PTI counsel Dr Babar Awan said the judgments of the courts in the case of sugar mill against Shehbaz Sharif are enough for his disqualification, but it is the discretion of the speaker to listen to the other party as well. “Today is the historical day in the parliamentary history of Punjab, as the speaker called us to present our arguments against the disqualification of the CM,” he said.
Talking to Pakistan Today, a PTI lawmaker Sadia Sohail Rana, who was present during the hearing of the reference, said Dr Babar Awan’s legal team was not allowed to enter the assembly premises, but they got permission after the protest of the PTI. “The CM has violated his oath by establishing his sugar mills in the areas of southern Punjab—where such mills were not allowed as per the laws of Pakistan,” she said. The people of Punjab were told that energy plants were being established in the southern Punjab but they all turned out to be sugar mills of Sharif family instead, she added.
As per the law, the speaker is bound to decide the reference within 30 days; otherwise, it will automatically be referred to the election commission. The election commission has 90 days to decide about the reference.
PTI Punjab Information Secretary and MPA from Lahore Mian Aslam Iqbal told Pakistan Today that their counsel Babar Awan pleaded his case for more than 40 minutes in an impressive manner before the speaker. “The Punjab CM does not qualify the article 62, 63 of the constitution; therefore, he must be disqualified,” he said, adding that the speaker is biased and he will never disqualify the chief minister. He was of the view that in case the speaker did not entertain their reference, they will file a reference in the Lahore High Court (LHC) again