Judge declines to hear case against Zardari

OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE - Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Monday declined to take up hearing of a writ petition earlier filed to seek execution of the full bench order wherein the Court had required President Asif Ali Zardari to part with the political office of PPP Co-Chairperson and also abandon use of President House for his political ends. The instant petition prays for declaring President Zardari disqualified in the office for he failed to act upon the full bench direction and has been continuing to hold the office PPP Co-Chairperson and use of presidency for the political purposes of the PPP. Justice Bandial gave reason for not hearing the case that he has been a member of the five-member full bench that passed the judgment in May 12 last on the issue of Presidents political activity in the Presidency , therefore, propriety demands that he should avoid hearing of the instant petition. With this observation, he referred the petition to the LHC Chief Justice requesting the same may be fixed before another appropriate bench. Advocate Rana Ilmuddin Ghazi has filed the petition through counsel A K Dogar inter alia contending that the said order of the full bench of the High Court had declared the indulgence of the President in political activities unconstitutional and unlawful and had advised the President to shun the same for his political involvement did not match with the neutrality, impartiality and non-partisan role constitutionally attached with the office of the President. The petitioner has blamed the President for gross misuse of the presidency for his political meetings despite the fact that the full bench decision refrained him from that course.

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