The Lahore High Court (LHC) wants President Asif Ali Zardari to know it means business.
In a written order of its earlier verdict, which gave the president till September 5 to resign from his post of Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman, the court stressed that the ruling is not only binding but has ‘enforceable legal effects’.
Friday’s written instructions of the LHC order passed on Wednesday also directed its office to immediately serve the order to President Zardari through his principal secretary. The secretary is to submit a reply regarding the president’s position regarding compliance with the order before the deadline of September 5.
The LHC also issued notice to the attorney general of Pakistan to seek his assistance on various constitutional aspects of the case.
A three-member bench on Wednesday had asked President Zardari to dissociate himself from political activities by September 5, in a contempt case that was a follow-up to an order passed by the LHC last year.
In May 2011, a bench headed by former LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry had ruled the Presidency off-limits for political activity, saying the practice was “inconsistent with the dignity, neutrality and independence of the presidency.”
“In the present case, the respondent president has also accepted the judgment (issued on May 12, 2011) by not challenging the same. That confers finality on the judgment and stops the respondent from challenging it. It is also plain that even after the lapse of one year following the judgment, the respondent continues to retain in his private capacity the office of Co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Prima facie the forgoing facts are such that these require further probes by this court,” the court order stated.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
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@Raheem Bukhsh: Courts are here to interpret laws not to preach morals.
@Mirza Head of state cannot represent a party. Its ethically wrong. M Marsi of Egypt left Muslim Brotherhood 15 mins after winning the elections. Obama is American President does not hold office in any party. You people are blind in the hate of SC. Everything is lawful to u.
The term 'elected' does not apply to indirectly selected office-holders who may have purchased their position by suitable largesse.
The courts must not give so much leeway and time for enforcement. It undermines their authority.
Conduct of one political party's activities inside the Presidency is manifestly aganist the spirit of the Constitution and the order of the LHC is completlely appropriate and should have serious consequences if disobeyed.
Past practices are no defense.
In 4 PPP whining... damn! too late
The court has given dead line up to Sept 5. Why 2 month's delay ?.
LHC initiates cases and their Patron In Chief endorses it. Why one feels that these courts are located in Raiwind??????
Do these judges ever have anything else to do? Or their only job function and interest is to hound and pound on the elected leaders while take oath of allegiance under the dictators.