A full bench of the Lahore High Court here Thursday reserved its verdict in several identical petitions challenging holding of political office of PPP co-chairperson by President Asif Ali Zardari. Earlier counsel for petitioners in the case concluded their arguments.
It may be noted a legal panel of federation comprising Talib H Rizvi, S M Masood, Saiful Malook and Ramzan Chaudhry had contested the petitions, who later boycotted the proceedings expressing dissatisfaction and disinterest on court after it had refused to hear federation's objection petition first. Later the incumbent bench headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry had started ex parte proceedings on the petitions.
The bench, however, appointed two senior constitutional experts Abid Hassan Manto and S M Zafar as amicus curiae to seek independent point of view. On Thursday, petitioner's counsel A K Dogar in his concluding arguments reiterated that the act of President Zardari of holding political office was in clear violation of article 41 (1) of the constitution.
He insisted that President being head of the state couldn't hold an office of a political party. Dogar said Asif Ali Zardari made president-house a hub of political activities. He prayed that President Zardari be directed to surrender the office of PPP co-chairperson. The petitions were filed by Pakistan Lawyers Forum of A K Dogar, Engineer Ghulam Jillani and Advocate Asif Mehmood Khan.