The bench said the court wanted to wrap up the hearing as soon as possible because it had been pending for eight months. PHOTO: lhc.gov.pk
Court will decide on March 18; Federal govt law officer wanted more time.
A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday directed Advocate Wasim Sajjad and the Attorney General of Pakistan to complete their arguments at the next hearing, saying it would decide on the maintainability of the petition then.
The bench was hearing a contempt petition filed against President Asif Ali Zardari for not relinquishing his political office despite an LHC decision on May 12, 2011.
The full bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, issued the directions when a federal government law officer requested the court to adjourn proceedings as Advocate Wasim Sajjad, main counsel for the federation, could not appear before the bench.
Besides Justice Bandial, Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Sheikh Najamul Hassan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah are on the bench.
When the hearing resumed, the bench told the law officer, Additional Attorney General Abdul Hayee Gilani, that the court wanted to wrap up the hearing as soon as possible because it had been pending for eight months.
The court has recorded arguments on the maintainability of the instant contempt petitions and therefore this point should be decided now, the chief justice remarked when Gilani kept insisting that the court hear more arguments.
Going through the order sheets of the case, Justice Bandial said that the court had given enough time to Advocate Sajjad to argue on the maintainability of the petition.
He noted that the Federation’s lawyer had argued on January 22 and February 6. No more time can be given in this regard, the bench observed while concluding Friday’s proceedings.
Previously, the bench had directed Wasim Sajjad to obtain a statement from the president that made it clear whether or not he was willing to refrain from political activities.
Munir Ahmed, the petitioner, has sought contempt proceedings against the president for not disassociating himself from his political office.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2013.
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