Lahore:After being denied the swearing in for the last two weeks, Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz at last took oath to his office on Saturday after winning a legal and political battle as well. Despite the opposition by Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema, the swearing-in ceremony was held at Governor’s House. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to Hamza Shehbaz as the 21st chief minister of Punjab.

LHC Justice Jawad Hassan on Friday passed the order on the third petition of Hamza Shehbaz seeking implementation of the two previous court orders on his petitions, directing the NA speaker to administer the oath to Hamza on Saturday at 11:30am.

As many as 700 guests were invited to the oath-taking ceremony of Hamza Shehbaz at Governor’s House. Hours before the oath-taking ceremony of CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema on Saturday rejected the resignation of Usman Buzdar.

Omar Sarafraz Cheema, in his letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, stated that the March 28 resignation letter of Usman Buzdar was not in accordance with the rules as it was addressed to the prime minister and not to the governor which was mandatory as per sub-section 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution. “The resignation was not addressed to the governor which was unconstitutional and thus rejected,” Cheema stated.