Dual offices: JI directed to argue maintainability of petition against Zardari

Lahore High Court observes that if petition is maintainable, it will be referred to full bench hearing similar cases.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of a petition from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) alleging that Asif Ali Zardari is illegally holding a political office while being the President of the country. The court directed the petitioner to argue the maintainability of the petition at the next hearing.

Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh observed that if the petition was found to be maintainable, it would be referred to a full bench which is already hearing a similar matter.

The petition was filed against President Zardari for continuing to hold his political office of co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The JI requested the court to declare him disqualified on account of him retaining the political office at the time of filing his nomination papers for the last presidential elections.

The JI had filed the petition through its deputy secretary, Dr Fareed Ahmad Paracha, and stated that the respondent (President Zardari) from day one has been persistently carrying on political activities as the head of a political party despite holding the post of head of state.