ISLAMABAD, JUL 26: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday resumed hearing the case of the Punjab chief minister’s election — where Hamza Shahbaz defeated Pervez Elahi — for the third day.

During the hearing, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari’s lawyer Irfan Qadir and PPP lawyer Farooq H Naek told the court that they will not be participating in the hearing as a boycott is being observed.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial then extended an open invitation to all the parties to assist the court in reaching a fair and just decision in the high-profile case.

Elahi, who had been defeated on July 22 after 10 PML-Q votes were rejected by Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari, had challenged the ruling in the SC.

The SC formed a three-member bench to hear the case, but the coalition government objected to it and demanded a full court take up the matter.

However, after hearing arguments from all sides for nearly eight hours on Monday, the SC decided not to form a full court bench, saying that the same bench would hear the case.

As the SC decided not to form a full bench, the ruling coalition and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) decided to boycott the apex court’s hearing.