RAWALPINDI, April 28: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, on Monday asked jailed PPP leader Asif Zardari to ensure presence of his lawyer on the next date of hearing, May 13, or make some other arrangements.

The division bench, comprising Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq, and Justice Tanvir Bashir Ansari, observed that when the lawyers needed stay orders, they diligently appeared before the court, but after getting the proceedings stayed, they simply forgot about it.

The observations were made when the court took up the petition of Mr Zardari against Naqi Imam Malik, a prosecution witness in assets case.

Mr Zardari had obtained stay order against the appearance of the prosecution witness second time.

On Monday, Advocate Arshad Tabraiz, made a request to the court that the case should be adjourned as Advocate Farooq H. Naek would appear in the case, and he was busy in other court.

At this, Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Baseer Qureshi said Advocate Farooq H.Naek had become a senator and was the only lawyer in 12 cases. He said delaying tactics were being employed by the accused, and the court should ask the petitioner to make alternative arrangements if his main counsel could not spare time.