August 20, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition challenging the conviction of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in absentia in three different corruption references, including SGS, ARY and assets case, on the grounds that it was not competently filed.

A division bench, comprising Justice Shabbir Akhtar and Justice Mian Jehangir, rejected the petition after upholding its office order that petitioner Sardar Latif Khosa advocate was not competent to file the petition on behalf of Benazir Bhutto.

In his petition, Latif Khosa has pleaded that his client (Benazir Bhutto) has been exempted from personal attendance by a competent court and that he has been directed to appear on her behalf, therefore, the accountability court should be directed to recall the orders of declaring Ms Bhutto a proclaimed offender and her conviction for three years under Section 31A of the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance for being ab initio void.

The petitioner also stated that the accountability court had rejected his similar application without proper hearing which was against the administration of justice and that Ms Bhutto was condemned unheard.

The petitioner stated that the then Ehtesab Bench of the LHC, Rawalpindi bench, while hearing the ARY Gold reference during the Nawaz Sharif government had allowed Benazir Bhutto to leave the country after exempting her from personal appearance.

Benazir Bhutto has been awarded three years rigorous imprisonment after being declared proclaimed offender in ARY, SGS and asset case for her failure to appear in the court.