Treason charges: Centre given last chance

LHC might appoint a new lawyer if no one from Centre appears on Sep 22.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Thursday gave last chance to the federal government to reply to the court notice on a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and action against him under high treason charges for allegedly continuously defying court orders.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the order on Thursday when no one appeared before the court from the federal government despite repeated court notices.

The judge observed that if the government was not represented before the court in the next hearing, the court will appoint a senior lawyer as amicus curie (friend of court) to proceed the case.

Advocate AK Dogar, representing the petitioner, stated that the matter was of an urgent nature and the court should not allow further delay in the proceedings.

Advocate Muhammad Afaq, who has challenged the petition against the prime minister, informed the court that the federal government would not respond to court notice as it had already boycotted the proceedings in petitions challenging dual office of president. He, however, withdrew his comment when Justice Bandial asked him to submit the same in writing.

The judge then adjourned the hearing till September 22 and also issued notice to petitioner Allah Bakhsh Gondal on the application filed by Advocate Afaq requesting the court to dismiss the petition considering the petitioner had no legal standing.

The petitioner contended that PM Gilani had ceased to be eligible for the office by operation of provisions of Articles 5, 6 and 92(2) of the Constitution on account of his deliberate defiance of SC orders and repeated attempts to subvert the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2011.