Islamabad: The chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a notice to the principal secretary to President Asif Ali Zardari, asking for an answer within a week as to why the president has not so far given up the office of co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party.
LHC chief justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the notice Friday while hearing a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the president for not relinquishing the party office.
On May 12, 2011 the LHC had ruled that President Zardari should give up the position of PPP co-chairman and that the presidency should not be used for political activities.
“The use of presidency for political activity is inconsistent with its sanctity, dignity, neutrality and independence. Therefore, it is expected that the president of Pakistan would cease the use of the premises of Presidency for political meetings of his party [PPP],” a four-judge bench of the LHC had said in its order.
The LHC chief justice reportedly observed that the full bench which had issued the order last year had expected that the president would relinquish one of his offices, but that did not happen.
