LAHORE – A petition seeking disqualification of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was declared ‘ineffective’ by the Lahore High Court on Monday because of Taseer’s assassination. Petitioner Chief Executive of Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills Mian Waqas Riaz had filed a constitutional petition against Taseer through his counsel AK Dogar, pleading that Taseer was not eligible to hold the office of the governor as he was doing his private business which was not permitted under the Constitution.
However, Taseer’s counsel said in the hearing that the petition had become ineffective because his client had died. After hearing the arguments, the full bench headed by LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry disposed of the petition declaring it ‘ineffective’.
The petition was pending in the Lahore High Court for the last one year. Dogar had submitted that Taseer was misusing office of Governor Punjab for promoting his private enterprise/ companies. He said Governor is unlawfully holding office of chief executive of his companies despite it being violation of the constitution.
The petitioner submitted that under article 103(1) of the constitution of Pakistan 1973 the Governor cannot occupy any position carrying benefit for rendering services and under articles 260 of the constitution governor Punjab cannot Pakistan Peoples Party’s political activities at Governor House. He said Salman misused public funds and resources of the government of the Punjab, the services of officials and vehicles of the government for his personal benefits when he traveled to attend the meetings as chief executive and owner of First Capital Security Corporation Limited, chief executive and chairman of Media Times Limited, Director of World Call Telecom Limited and Director of the Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills.
