The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said on Thursday that the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s decision in President Asif Ali Zardari’s dual office case was based on preference, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), declaring the verdict in accordance with the constitution, asked the president to resign from one office.
Reacting to the LHC decision, PPP-backed Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz expressed disappointment with the verdict and said the party would file a review petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against it. He said that the ultimate decision to move the SC would be taken within the next one or two days after consultations with constitutional and legal experts, but the party had the right to appeal the decision.
Condemning the “partiality of certain quarters”, he said if the courts could see uniformed presidents in the presidency then the decision might be different. PPP Provincial Assembly Member (MPA) Ashraf Sohna seconded Riaz’s stance said the party would take any decision after consultation with leaders and legal experts. He said that the court verdict was not in accordance with the wishes of the people and the party would have internal consultations when President Zardari returned from his official visit to Russia.
Former Punjab finance minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira said President Zardari was an impartial president and was working for the unity and progress of the country. He said it was not possible that there could be a neutral candidate for president. In contrast to the PPP’s stance, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the LHC decision was in accordance with the constitution. Sanaullah said the president was supposed to be an impartial personality and called on Zardari to immediately quit from one office.
PML-N MPA Rana Arshad said that President Zardari must abide by the court’s decision and it was a golden chance for him to silence allegations against him.
