The Lahore High Court (LHC) reserved judgment on a petition challenging presidential pardon to Interior Minister Rehman Malik against conviction in two references of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday.
LHC chief justice (CJ), on the argument that President Asif Ali Zardari pardoned Malik in haste, observed that if the president had powers then it
did not matter whether it was done in haste or not. However, the CJ questioned Malik’s counsel, M Azhar, that if the president lawfully pardoned Malik then why did Malik filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. Azhar replied that the appeal was filed only to wash the stigma of pardon by the president.
Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, media coordinator of Save Judicial Committee, filed the petition, requesting the court to set aside the president’s order because it was based on misuse of powers, while Malik had contended that the president had pardoned him using his constitutional powers.
