Lahore (Staff Report/Agencies): The Lahore High Court on Friday restored Chaudhary Parvez Elahi as the Punjab Chief Minister.
A larger bench of the LHC, headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and comprising Justices Justices Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Tariq Saleem Sheikh, Asim Hafeez and Muzamil Akhtar Shabir, issued the ruling after Elahi assured that he would not dissolve the provincial assembly after holding the office.
The court has also reinstated the cabinet of the Punjab chief minister.
Earlier the day, Parvez Elahi filed a petition before the LHC challenging Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman order to de-notify him as Punjab chief minister.
In the petition, filed through Barrister Ali Zafar and Advocate Amir Saeed, had made party the Punjab governor through his principal secretary, the government of Punjab through its chief secretary and the PA speaker as respondents.
The petitioner stated that the governor’s order is “unconstitutional, unlawful and of no legal effect”.
During the hearing, the LHC bench remarked that it would reinstate Elahi if an undertaking is submitted that he would not give any advice to dissolve the assembly.
After the undertaking was submitted that he would not disband the assembly till next hearing, the court reinstated him as the chief minister. The LHC also issued notices to all the parties in the case and summoned them on January 11.
In the wee hours of Friday, Balighur Rehman denotify Parvez Elahi as Punjab chief minister, citing a failure to take the vote of confidence from the provincial assembly. He, however, asked Elahi to continue working as chief minister until his successor takes charge.
