LHC adjourns Zardaris dual office case till Oct 31

The LHC heard contempt of court petition against President Asif Ali Zardari for not relinquishing the political office of PPP co-chairman.A larger bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case.The petition that had been filed by Munir Ahmad through lawyers A K Dogar and Azhar Siddique had accused President Zardari of indulging in political activities in the presidency.It had stated that the president had neither disassociated himself from the political office nor had he stopped ‘misusing’ the President House despite a verdict by the Lahore High Court’s full bench against the dual office.The petitioner had also contended that the use of Presidency for political activities was illegal and tantamount to committing contempt of the court’s orders issued on May 12 last year.He had also requested the court to issue a show-cause notice to the president and punish him under Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, read with Article 204 of the Constitution.During the hearing, Advocate Wasim Sajjad, representing the government, said that petitions were being filed against the head of state as if he was an ordinary man.Sajjad moreover requested the court for more time, adding that, he was not employing delaying tactics.In his remarks, Justice Bandial said that the head of state was not an ordinary citizen. Whereas, the bench said the matter involved the issue of contempt of court and that it would rule over it on the basis of merit.Also during the hearing, Sajjad argued that the president’s office was political as he was elected president after a consensus among the political parties in the parliament.The court adjourned the hearing till October 31.