ISLAMABAD : A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Moosa K. Leghari will resume hearing of the election petition against Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday.

Speaker Punjab Assembly and the provincial government have already filed applications through their counsels in the Supreme Court to become party in the case.

Muhammad Akram Sheikh advocate will appear before the court as counsel of Speaker Punjab Assembly. Khawaja Haris who is a nominated Advocate General Punjab will represent the Punjab government in the petition which has been filed against Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif by Syed Khurram Shah.

Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum will appear before the court on notice. Ahmed Raza Qasuri will appear before the court as counsel of the petitioner. It may be mentioned here that Syed Khurram Shah has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking stay order against the orders of the Lahore High Court passed on June 5, 2008 which was not accepted by the Supreme Court and stay order was not issued.

According to details of the case, the petitioner Syed Khurram Shah has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court through his counsel Ahmed Raza Khan Qasuri praying that “the petition for grant of leave to appeal against the order dated 05-06-2008 of the Lahore High Court, Lahore, in C.M. No.2d/2008, in W.P. No 6470/2008, may kindly be modified to the extent of refusing relief.”

In his petition filed under Article 185 (3) of the Constitution, the petitioner also prayed that pending the decision of this petition, the operation of the order of the Returning Officer and the notification issued by the Chief Election Commissioner may kindly be suspended. The request was not accepted by the bench comprising Justice Moosa K.leghari, Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali and Justice Muhammad Farrukh Mehmood.

It may recalled here that Shahbaz Sharif has already been elected unopposed Chief Minister of the province even has taken oath of office as well as vote of confidence from the Assembly.

It is pertinent to mention here that Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the Returning Officer of PP-48 Bhakkar Muhammad Yaqoob Senior Civil Judge, Bakkar, the Election Appellate Tribunal for PP-48 Bhakkar-II, Lahore High Court, Lahore, the Election Commissioner of Pakistan through Chief Election Commissioner Islamabad and the Federation of Pakistan through Secretary Cabinet Division have been made respondents in the petition. APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2008

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