Lahore, Apr 27 (PTI) Pakistan's Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday instructed Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema to ensure Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz's oath-taking process is completed on or before April 28.

The decision was announced in an open court on a petition filed by Hamza seeking the court's direction to the Senate chairman to administer oath to him, the Dawn News reported.

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Hamza, 48, the son of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was elected as the new chief minister of Punjab on April 16. However, due to political rivalry between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and ousted prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Hamza could not be sworn in as the chief minister.

In its three-page verdict, LHC Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti ruled that all provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan suggest prompt formation of governments, both federal and provincial.

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"For that matter, expeditious administration of oath either by President or by Governor or their nominee, as the case may be, is mandatory," he said, pointing out that there was no "vacuum" or "space" in the Constitution to delay the administration of oath.

Justice Bhatti underscored that Punjab was being operated without a functional government for the last 25 days since the acceptance of former Chief Minister Usman Buzdar's resignation.

"On the other hand, the oath of the newly elected Chief Minister Punjab Mr. Muhammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif is being delayed on one pretext or the other, which is not only against democratic norms but also against the scheme of the Constitution," Justice Bhatti said.

The court directed Cheema to "ensure the completion of the process of administration of oath of Chief Minister Punjab, either himself or through his nominee, in terms of Article 255 of the Constitution, on or before 28.04.2022."

In his petition, Hamza had said the officials "inability and unwillingness" to perform the oath-taking was "sheer mala fide", adding that nomination of another person to perform the duty was also being "withheld for irrelevant political considerations".

Following the verdict, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also President of the PML-N party said: “Worst among [Imran Khan's] damaging legacy is blatant defiance [and] undermining of constitutional authority.”

Hamza Shehbaz is on bail in the Rs 14 billion money-laundering case which is being probed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). He served 20 months in jail before getting released on bail in Ramzan Sugar Mills and money laundering cases by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) last year.

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