President Asif Ali Zardari will soon give up his political office and the Presidency will not be used for political activities of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Wasim Sajjad, counsel for the federation, told the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday.
A full bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the contempt of court petition moved by Munir Ahmad against President Zardari for not relinquishing his political office as the PPP co-chairperson in light of an LHC verdict.
The counsel, Wasim Sajjad, submitted the federation’s viewpoint on the matter in writing, informing the court that the president would soon give up his political office and the President’s House would not be used for the political activities by the PPP.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah enquired from the counsel whether political activities would not be held in the Presidency only or in the President’s House in Karachi as well?
Sajjad said that the President’s House was located in Islamabad, while the rest were the president’s personal residences. To this, LHC CJ Umar Ata Bandial said the federation’s counsel’s pledge to stop political activities in the President’s House augured well.
Sajjad said the issue had been settled finally. “The president would soon give up the political office.”
The counsel told the court that the president was not the chief of the party and the slot was occupied by Makhdoom Amin Faheem. Sajjad asserted that the president was not the head of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P).
During the hearing Sajjad and additional attorney general exchanged heated arguments with the petitioner’s counsel AK Dogar.
Earlier during the hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir had requested the court to adjourn the hearing.
The bench rejected the request and replied that the case was significant in nature and the hearing would carry on even if the AGP was not available to appear for proceedings.
Zardari to give up party post ‘soon’
