Pak journalist Hamid Mir under fire from Imran Khan's supporters amid Punjab CM row

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 25 (ANI): Prominent Pakistani journalist and news anchor Hamid Mir has come under fire on the microblogging website Twitter for leaning towards the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance's demand for the constitution of a full court on the issue of the election of a Chief Minister for Punjab province.
"Isn't it clear now that the demand for making a full court has been ignored?" Hamid Mir tweeted. "Three selected people cannot run an elected system. [?]@BBhuttoZardari attacked three-member bench of the Supreme Court," he said in another tweet.
Users on Twitter, mainly supporters of PTI, were seen lashing at Mir, claiming that he is siding with Pakistan Muslim League (N) amid the legal battle with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) amid the row over chief ministership of Punjab.
"When it's PTI we never heard from you about the full court. Something is wrong with this picture," Pakistani user Gul Khatab tweeted.
Another user said, "Not a single reason to consider the full bench option, its simple case, what parliament should follow ...constitution. No Hamza No Pervaiz...."
"Why should a full bench be ordered! If your not going to tell the truth then give up journalism! Your a discredit to your profession! What good for the goose is good for the ganda! The same bench through out PTI speakers judgement then the rule was great for the PDM Traitors chor," another Pakistani Twitter user said.
Hamza Shahbaz from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday won the election in the provincial assembly to retain his position as the chief minister of Punjab province, after provincial assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari decided not to count the votes of PML-Q lawmakers.
Shahbaz, son of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, secured 179 votes against 176 votes received by Pervaiz Elahi, a joint candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of former prime minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML).
Elahi had received 186 votes, including 176 from PTI and 10 from the PML, but the deputy speaker excluded the 10 votes of the PML after its chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain wrote a letter to his party members not to vote for Elahi.
The election was held on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan after the PTI filed a petition in the apex court, saying that Shahbaz has lost the majority in the house.
Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz today filed a petition in Pakistan's top court to constitute a full court on the issue of the election of a CM for Punjab.
In his petition, Shahbaz stated that the ruling given by Deputy Speaker Mazari on July 22 is valid, while Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's letter to his lawmakers is in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
The petition further stated that the Pakistan Election Commission had upheld the instructions given in the letter written by Imran Khan against the defecting members.
Earlier today, Pakistan Supreme Court reserved the verdict on the formation of a full court for hearing the case of the Punjab chief minister's election -- where Hamza Shahbaz defeated Pervez Elahi.
The top court reserved the verdict on the petitions filed by CM Hamza and other bar associations -- seeking the formation of a full court -- after it heard arguments from party lawyers, Geo News reported.
Earlier on April 16, Shahbaz was elected as the new chief minister of Punjab with 197 votes, including 25 dissidents of the PTI. On May 20, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-seated 25 dissident members of the provincial assembly of the PTI for voting Shahbaz in the election against the orders of the party leadership.
Later the ECP allocated five reserved seats to the PTI and announced by-elections on the remaining 20 seats on July 17. The PTI won 15 seats while PML-N got four seats and an independent candidate also won the election.
Member of the PML Basharat Raja objected to the deputy speaker's decision to exclude votes, saying that it is against the constitution of the country because only a leader in the assembly can pass such orders to its members while Hussain is not the party leader in the house.
Earlier, the PTI and PML both had announced that they will go to the Supreme Court of the country to challenge the verdict made by the deputy speaker. (ANI)