Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif on Friday reconstituted a five-member full bench to hear two constitutional petitions challenging holding of office of President of Pakistan and co-chairman of Pakistan People's Party by Asif Ali Zardari.
The new bench will comprise Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan. Previously, the bench was dissolved on Tuesday after Justice Sh Azmat Saeed had declined to sit on the bench on the plea that previously he had been appearing as prosecutor in an accountability reference against Zardari so it will against the spirit of justice to sit on the bench.
The petitions were filed by AK Dogar of the Pakistan Lawyers Forum and lawyer Asif Mehmood against holding the office of co-chairman PPP, the petitioner argued that the said act of President Zardari was in clear violation of article 41 (1) of the constitution. They said the President being head of the state can not hold an office of a political party and participate in politics. Petitioners prayed the court to direct President Zardari to surrender the office of co-chairperson of PPP.