LAHORE, Nov 20: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan on a petition challenging by-elections being held in the national and provincial constituencies.

Rao Sarfraz Naeem filed the petition and contended that the constitutional term of the parliament was going to expire in March 2013.

He said that according to law, the ECP could not hold by-elections 100 days before the general election.

The petitioner prayed to the court to restrain the ECP from holding by-polls being unlawful.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the initial arguments and issued notices to respondents for Nov 27.

Zardari case The federation of Pakistan, through its counsel, has requested the Lahore High Court chief justice to adjourn hearing of a contempt of court petition against President Asif Ali Zardari, fixed for Wednesday (today).

In the application, Advocate Wasim Sajjad submitted that he would not be able to appear before a full bench hearing the contempt petition due to his engagement in a case before the Supreme Court in Islamabad.

Munir Ahmad filed the contempt of court petition against the president for holding political office and indulging in political activities in violation of a LHC full bench order.

The petitioner said the president had not dissociated himself from political office as expected by the full bench in its decision against his dual office.

He said neither the court directions had been followed nor he (president) had stopped ‘misusing’ the president house.

He stated the use of presidency for partisan political activities by Zardari was not only illegal but also contempt of the court orders issued on May 12, 2011.

He prayed that the president should be issued a show-cause notice and punished for the contempt of court in view of the punishment as provided in the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, read with Article 204 of the Constitution.

JI petition Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the LHC adjourned a petition filed by Jamaat-i-Islami against the political office of Zardari.

The judge asked Dr Fareed Ahmad Paracha to submit an authority letter from his party to file the instant petition. Petitioner’s counsel sought time for the purpose and the judge adjourned hearing.

Dr Paracha had filed the petition and sought a declaration that President Zardari suffered from pre-election disqualification on account of retaining the office of political party at the time of filing nomination papers for the presidential election.

Disposed of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday disposed of a petition filed by PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, Pervaiz Elahi and others challenging an order of Punjab Cooperative Board for Liquidation’s judicial officer.

The petitioners stated that the PCBL judicial officer had served them a notice for the recovery of a loan of Rs35 million obtained by a beverage company (Benz) from defunct NICFC (National Industrial Cooperative Finance Corporation) in 1988.

The petitioners said they duly submitted their reply and informed the judicial officer that they had withdrawn their shares from the beverage company in 1984 and the loan in question was obtained by the new management of the company. Therefore, they said, they owed no liability on behalf of the beverage company.

The petitioners said the judicial officer did not provide them with an opportunity of personal hearing before issuing the impugned order for the recovery.

They prayed to the court that the act of the judicial officer be set aside being illegal.

On Tuesday, PCBL through its counsel told the court that the petitioners had been asked to appear before the board on Dec 15 to present their point of view. At this the CJ disposed of the petition.