PM’s Disqualification: Govt given till April 20 to reply

Petition seeking the PM’s disqualification and to take action against him for allegedly defying court orders

LAHORE:

A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday gave the federal government time, till April 20, to file a reply in a petition seeking the prime minister’s disqualification and to take action against him for allegedly defying court orders and subverting the Constitution. Deputy attorney general Aazar Latif appeared before the bench and sought time to file a reply at which Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed adjourned the hearing till April 20.

Advocate Allah Bakhsh Gondal has moved this petition, submitting that a sedition case be lodged against Prime Minister (pm) Yousaf Raza Gillani for “subverting the constitution” by not implementing Supreme Court (SC) orders.

He submitted that as head of the Executive, the PM was responsible for the government’s inaction. He said the PM knew well what the consequences of non-compliance with court orders would be. He alleged that the government wanted a confrontation with the judiciary.

The petitioner stated that such “gross violation” of SC orders amounted to high treason and was grounds for disqualification.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.