Plea against PA session in hotel: Prove if it is illegal or face heavy fine: CJ tells lawyer.

LAHORE -- Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Thursday warned a woman lawyer petitioner of heavy fine if she failed to prove that holding the Punjab Assembly's session in a private hotel was illegal.

At the outset of the hearing, the chief justice asked Advocate Anjum Hameed, the petitioner in person, to cite the law that clearly restricted holding of the assembly session outside the Punjab Assembly premises. He also observed that petitions should not be filed only for media publicity.

The lawyer stated that though the rules of business did not specify any place for holding the assembly's session, public money had been misused by holding the session in a private place apparently due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said the impugned act amounted to disloyalty to the country.

Chief Justice Khan cautioned the petitioner-lawyer that she was trying to question the loyalty of all members of the assembly.

A law officer opposed the petition and argued that the Punjab governor had authorised the speaker of the assembly to hold the session at any appropriate place.

The CJ asked the government's counsel whether the governor could delegate his...