LAHORE, Feb 14: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Thursday again issued a notice to the Punjab health secretary on a petition moved by pharmacists seeking contempt proceedings against the functionary for ignoring court order about their regularisation of services.

Around 30 pharmacists filed the petition and submitted they were appointed after qualifying Punjab Public Service Commission examination.

They said a single bench of the LHC had directed the government to regularise them but health department challenged the order through an appeal.

A division bench had dismissed the appeal but the department did not implement the order of the single bench, they added.

The petitioners requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the health secretary for not complying with the court’s order.

On the previous hearing, the secretary was asked to submit his reply. However, nobody turned up from the government’s side and the chief justice again issued a notice for March 12.

Plea against Zardari A civil miscellaneous application was filed on Thursday in the Lahore High Court to punish President Asif Ali Zardari under contempt of court charges.

The petitioner, in an already pending main case against the president, moved the application a day before the hearing of the case before a full bench on Friday (today).

Petitioner Munir Ahmad, through his counsel A.K Dogar, said the full bench had on Oct 10, 2012, during hearing of the main contempt petition declared: “The duties and functions of the lofty office of the president are to be discharged by him with complete neutrality, impartiality and aloofness from any partisan, political activities.”

It was pleaded that President Zardari even after this order continued to disregarding the LHC judgment passed on May 12, 2011, by actively participating in political activities.

The petitioner pointed out that federation’s counsel had undertaken before the full bench that the presidency in Islamabad would not be used for political meetings, but the assurance had not been honoured by the president.

The petitioner sought permission from the court to place on record documents and clippings from newspapers to establish the defiance of court’s order on part of the president.

Bagram jail Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan of the Lahore High Court on Thursday fixed Feb 21 for hearing of a petition seeking release and subsequent return of 37 Pakistani citizens detained at Bagram Theatre Internment Camp in Afghanistan.

The judge took up an application moved by the petitioner’s counsel for early hearing of the case. The judge directed the counsel for the petitioner and the federal government to come up with arguments.

Justice Project Pakistan, a non-profit law firm, filed the petition through Barrister Sarah Belal.

The petitioner submitted that Pakistani citizens had been detained at Bagram jail without any charge or trial since 2003. It said they were abducted from Pakistan and removed to the infamous US prison in Afghanistan.

In this case, the ministry of foreign affairs had told the court on previous hearing that six Pakistanis imprisoned at Bagram jail were being released. The ministry had also submitted the list of the six Pakistanis to be released from captivity.