Chief Justice Lahore High Court here Friday issued notice to President Asif Ali Zardari through latter's principal secretary for June 27 in a contempt of court petition against the President for his continuous indulgence in political activities in violation of an LHC full bench's order.
The CJ also said that a larger bench would hear the case from next date of hearing as constitutional and legal issues had been raised in the petition. As proceedings began on Friday, petitioner's counsel A K Dogar argued that the court should summon the President to explain his position as the Supreme Court had called former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
At this, the CJ said the court had issued notice to principal secretary and the court would decide future course of action following receipt of a reply by principal secretary. The CJ asked petitioner's counsel not to repeat his assertion about summoning the President and added that the court might summon the President if so required.
The CJ went on to say that the office of President is respectable and a full LHC bench had expected that the President would disassociate himself from political activities but he did not do so. Prima facie contempt proceedings are initiated for not following courts' orders. The petitioner, Azhar Siddique, said the President Zardari had neither disassociated himself from political office at the 'earliest possible' as expected by the court in its decision on president's dual office.
He said the directions issued by the court had not been obeyed nor he (President) had stopped misusing the premises of the Presidency for the purpose of his party (PPP). The petitioner pleaded that the use of presidency for partisan political activity by Asif Ali Zardari was not only illegal but a contempt of the orders of court dated May 12, 2011, as defined in Article 204 of the Constitution. He therefore prayed to the court to charge and convict the respondent for the contempt of court.