Dual office: Larger LHC bench formed to hear contempt plea
LHC had asked President Zardari to stop using the presidency for politicking.
LAHORE:
The controversy surrounding President Asif Ali Zardari’s continuation of party activities while holding the office of president gained momentum as Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial constituted a five member larger bench to hear the contempt of court petition, on Thursday.
The petition, moved by advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique and filed by advocate A K Dogar, accuses President Zardari of contempt of court for continuing to take part in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) political activities in contravention of an earlier full bench decision of the LHC on the president’s dual office.
Quoting President Zardari’s extension of felicitations to National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza for ruling in favour of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the petitioner’s lawyer said that the president had neither disassociated himself from political office nor halted the misuse of presidency premises for party affairs.
The petitioner submitted that not only was the use of presidency for partisan political activities by President Zardari illegal but constituted contempt of the orders of court dated May 12, 2011. In its May 2011 order the LHC had directed President Zardari to suspend political activities in light of the neutral and non-partisan character of the office of the president.
The petitioner’s counsel added that under Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 in conjunction with Article 204 of the Constitution, the president is liable to be show-caused, charged, convicted and sentenced for the contempt of court.
Talking to the media at the LHC premises, Attorney General (AG) Irfan Qadir said that as the appointing authority of judges, the office of the president is supreme and that maintaining the sanctity of the highest office in the state is everyone’s responsibility.
The bench is expected to begin hearing the petition on Sept 5.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2012.
The controversy surrounding President Asif Ali Zardari’s continuation of party activities while holding the office of president gained momentum as Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial constituted a five member larger bench to hear the contempt of court petition, on Thursday.
The petition, moved by advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique and filed by advocate A K Dogar, accuses President Zardari of contempt of court for continuing to take part in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) political activities in contravention of an earlier full bench decision of the LHC on the president’s dual office.
Quoting President Zardari’s extension of felicitations to National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza for ruling in favour of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the petitioner’s lawyer said that the president had neither disassociated himself from political office nor halted the misuse of presidency premises for party affairs.
The petitioner submitted that not only was the use of presidency for partisan political activities by President Zardari illegal but constituted contempt of the orders of court dated May 12, 2011. In its May 2011 order the LHC had directed President Zardari to suspend political activities in light of the neutral and non-partisan character of the office of the president.
The petitioner’s counsel added that under Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 in conjunction with Article 204 of the Constitution, the president is liable to be show-caused, charged, convicted and sentenced for the contempt of court.
Talking to the media at the LHC premises, Attorney General (AG) Irfan Qadir said that as the appointing authority of judges, the office of the president is supreme and that maintaining the sanctity of the highest office in the state is everyone’s responsibility.
The bench is expected to begin hearing the petition on Sept 5.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2012.