LAHORE, March 10: A Lahore High Court full bench on Thursday reserved judgment on several petitions challenging holding of Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson office by President Asif Ali Zardari after leading counsel for petitioners in the case concluded his arguments. Different high court benches had been hearing these petitions since 2009.

Initially, a legal-panel of federation comprising Talib H Rizvi, S M Masood, Saiful Malook and Ramzan Chaudhry had contested the petitions. However, the panel boycotted the proceedings expressing mistrust and dissatisfaction with court after it had refused to hear federation’s objection petition first.

The incumbent bench headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry had started ex-parte (one sided) proceedings on the petitions. However, the bench had appointed two senior constitutional experts -- Abid Hasan Manto and SM Zafar -- as amicus curie (friend of court).

On Thursday, petitioners’ counsel A K Dogar in his concluding arguments reiterated that the act of President Zardari of holding a political office was in clear violation of Article 41 (1) of the Constitution. He insisted the president, being head of the state, could not hold office of a political party.

Mr Dogar said Asif Ali Zardari made the President’s House a hub of political activities by holding a political office. He prayed the president be directed to surrender the office of PPP co-chairperson.

The bench after hearing the arguments reserved the judgment.

The petitions were filed by the Pakistan Lawyers Forum of AK Dogar, Engineer Ghulam Jillani and Advocate Asif Mehmood Khan.

PROBE ORDERED: The Lahore High Court ordered a judicial inquiry into the killing of two people in an alleged encounter with Faisalabad police.

Advocate Ijaz Ahmad filed a petition saying the police killed Muhammad Naeem and Arshad Husain in a ‘fake’ encounter. He said the victims were neither dacoits nor wanted in any registered case.

He prayed to the court to order a judicial inquiry into the killings so that those responsible for the act could be brought to the book.

After hearing petitioner’s contention, Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq directed Faisalabad district and sessions judge to hold a judicial inquiry into the matter and report to the court within a month.