A full bench of the Lahore High Court here Wednesday adjourned to February 14 the proceedings in several identical petitions challenging holding of dual office by President Asif Ali Zardari. The bench headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry for hearing detailed arguments by petitioner counsel on reputation threatening Zardari's eligibility.
Earlier petitioner AK Dogar was arguing that Asif Ali Zardari faced pre-election disqualification due to his bad reputation. He submitted that Zardari is known as Mr 10 percent at national and international level for taking kickbacks on contract deals during tenure of his spouse Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The CJ Ijaz Chaudhry observed that "do we have any yardstick for measuring reputation of a person".
And Justice Ijazul Hassan asked the petitioner counsel that could he present any precedent or court judgement on removal on basis on reputation only. Upon this AK Dogar requested the court to give him some time for answering these questions with solid arguments and references from the constitution of Pakistan. The court gave him time and adjourned hearing accordingly.
The petitions were filed by Pakistan Lawyers Forum (PLF), Engineer Ghulam Jillani and Advocate Asif Mehmood Khan seeking disqualification of President Asif Ali Zardari for simultaneously holding a political office of PPP co-chairperson. The petitioners contended that President being head of the state is constitutionally required to maintain an impartial, neutral and non-partisan posture.
The counsel contended that Asif Ali Zardari is head of a political party, and adopts on occasions, the absolute posture of the party leader and serves party interests, which is contrary to the character of his Constitutional office. The petitioners prays to the court to declare Zardari disqualified to hold the dual office.
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