PPP or PPPP?: LHC calls on AGP’s acumen

Asks for advice on maintainability of petition challenging PPP registration, Awan's notification as vice president.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has sought the attorney-general of Pakistan’s assistance on the maintainability of a petition seeking the Pakistan Peoples Party’s registration record with the election commission and the Senator Babar Awan’s notification as the party’s vice president.

Petitioner Advocate Afaq Ahmad has submitted that no political party by the name of ‘Pakistan Peoples Party’ is registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan, but party heads continue to use this which is illegal. A party, by the name of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians is registered with the ECP.

Further, he said, PPP Co-Chairperson President Asif Ali Zardari had not issued a notification nominating Awan as the party’s VP. Awan himself had drafted the notification and is using it despite strong reservations by PPP’s senior leaders, the petitioner says.

Awan, he alleges, is trying to hatch a conspiracy against the president by stating that Zardari had nominated him because the president cannot participate in political activities following an LHC judgment against him holding dual offices.

Awan, PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar, PPP Patriots chairperson Makhdoom Amin Fahim and PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira have been named respondents in the petition.

The petitioner has requested the court to direct respondents to submit a record of Awan’s notification. He has also prayed that the court order responsible officials to submit details of the office bearers of PPP and PPP Parliamentarians, and the registration record of the parties with the ECP. The court will resume hearing on February 6.