Rejecting a request filed by the federation’s counsel to adjourn the hearing of a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against President Asif Ali Zardari, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed Wasim Sajjad to conclude his arguments on the case.
A five-judge full bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, has been hearing the petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against President Zardari for not complying with its May 12, 2011, judgment declaring political activities by the President unconstitutional.
Sajjad had requested the court to adjourn today’s (Friday) hearing on account of “prior commitments”.
The request was rejected by Justice Bandial who said in his remarks that the case was of a “sensitive nature”, therefore the proceedings could not be adjourned.
Adjourning the hearing to March 18, the bench said it would rule on the petition even if Sajjad failed to present and conclude his arguments on the said date.
On the other hand, a miscellaneous petition was filed in the LHC calling for the court to indict the president in the contempt of court petition.
The petition, filed by A K Dogar, alleged that the federation’s counsel was employing delaying tactics in the case.