CM should command 'perpetual' majority: LHC.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday allowed Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to remain the chief executive for one more day, as it observed that a chief minister was supposed to enjoy the trust of the majority of members in the house around the clock.

A larger bench made this observation during the hearing of a petition filed by the CM, challenging notifications of Governor Balighur Rehman wherein he had removed Mr Elahi for failing to comply with the governor's directives for the trust vote.

As the hearing started, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh asked whether the dispute on the trust vote had been settled. 'The dispute would stand settled the moment the CM takes a vote of confidence,' governor's counsel Khalid Ishaq responded.

Asked about the governor's offer, the counsel told the bench that a considerable time had passed since the last hearing but Mr Elahi failed to seek a trust vote.

Justice Hafeez also observed that the CM had a reasonable time to seek the vote. Justice Sheikh asked the CM's counsel about his view on the offer made by the governor.

After a half-an-hour break during which Elahi's counsel consulted his client, Barrister Ali Zafar said his client refused the offer. Subsequently, the bench decided to pass a decision after hearing the arguments.

Barrister Zafar said the...