Dual office: Govt's counsel requests LHC to put off case due to other engagements

Advocate Azhar Siddique submitted that he was wanted in the Peshawar High Court on the day of the hearing.

Advocate Wasim Sajjad on behalf of federal government has requested the Lahore High Court Chief Justice to postpone hearing the contempt of court petition case against President Asif Ali Zardari, affixed for Thursday owing to appearance in the Peshawar high court (PHC).

In an application filed on Wednesday Advocate Sajjad explained that he will not be able to appear before a larger bench hearing the contempt petition due to his engagement in a case before the PHC.

Meanwhile, Advocate Azhar Siddique, counsel of the petitioner, also filed an application in the high court seeking permission to place on record the detailed judgment of Supreme Court against Contempt of Court Act 2012. This application will be taken up by the larger bench on Thursday along with the main case.

Another lawyer Sarfraz Hussain moved an application to become proforma respondent in the contempt case against the President.

The larger bench headed by the Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had dismissed an application of federal government to become a necessary party in the case, however, allowed it to become a proforma respondent in the case.

The bench had observed that “the impleadment of the federal government does not make it a party answerable on the merits of the petition as no relief is or can be sought against it in these contempt proceedings.”