LAHORE: Hearing a petition of former president Rafiq Tarar seeking pension and other post-retirement benefits, the Lahore High Court on Thursday decided to proceed ex-parte to the extent of former president Gen Pervez Musharraf (retired), one of the respondents in the petition.

As the court resumed hearing all the respondents were represented through their counsels except Gen Musharraf. The court was told that notice was duly served to Musharraf, however, neither he appeared in person nor represented through his counsel.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan postponed further hearing till March 3, 2014, and decided to proceed in the case to the extent of Gen Musharraf, a respondent.

Mr Tarar had submitted in his petition that the former military ruler had removed him from President’s House after toppling Nawaz Sharif’s democratic government in 1999.

He said since the Supreme Court had declared all the acts of Musharraf unconstitutional, he (Mr Tarar) was entitled to pension and all other benefits being a former president.

He prayed to the court to direct the government to start paying him pension and other benefits.

Replies sought

The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a reply from the federal government, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on suspension of gas supply to CNG stations for an indefinite period.

Abdul Hameed and dozens of other CNG station owners had challenged the suspension of gas supply, pleading that the government had acted unconstitutionally.

They said as per the agreement with the government, the SNGPL was under an obligation to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the CNG stations. The petitioners said the government had suspended the gas supply without prior intimation and violated the agreement, adding that the constitution envisaged the right to do lawful business but the government had usurped this right by discontinuing the gas supply. Justice Shahid Waheed heard the arguments and issued notices to all respondents with directions to submit replies within four weeks.

Bail plea dismissed

A Lahore High Court division bench on Thursday dismissed bail petition of Haris Steel Mills’ Sheikh Afzal in Silk Bank loan fraud reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau.

The counsel for the accused argued his client was behind the bars and trial was not completed. He said the accused could not be put in jail for a long period without sentence and prayed to the court to release him on bail.

However, the bench observed that the accused was also involved in other banks’ loan fraud cases and concession of bail could not be granted to him at this stage.