LAHORE, Oct 31: A Lahore High Court full bench on Wednesday adjourned hearing of a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against President Asif Ali Zardari for not relinquishing political office of PPP co-chairperson in the light of a judgment passed by the high court in 2011.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, allowed a written request for the adjournment submitted on behalf of Advocate Wasim Sajjad, counsel for the federation in the case.

The counsel sought a short adjournment on account of his engagement in annual election of the Supreme Court Bar Association in Islamabad.

Petitioner’s counsel A.K Dogar opposed the adjournment plea, and said Mr Sajjad was neither a candidate nor canvassing for any candidate in the election. He could have cast his vote even in Lahore, Dogar said and asked the bench to continue hearing in the absence of the federation’s counsel.

The chief justice, however, adjourned further hearing till Nov 7.

Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Justice Sheikh Najamul Hasan, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah were other members of the bench.

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 neither disassociated himself from political office as expected by the LHC full bench in its decision against his dual office.

He said the court directions had not been followed nor he (president) stopped ‘misusing’ the president house.

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