IHC admits petitions against Zardari for initial hearing

ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (CJIHC) Athar Minallah Tuesday removed the objections of Registrar Office on petitions challenging the eligibility of former president and PPP’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari as Member of National Assembly(MNA) and admitted them for the initial hearing.

The court, however, asked the petitioners to satisfy the bench that it was a matter of public interest and should be heard on the priority basis.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing on two petitions filed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar and Khurram Sher Zaman seeking disqualification of Zardari under Article 62(1)(F) of Constitution for concealing assets.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah remarked that why the political matters were brought into courts. The political conflicts should be addressed at the relevant forums like Parliament, he further said.

He said that the Registrar Office had objected on petitions and stated that ECP was the relevant forum for this topic.

The petitioners’ counsel Sikandar Bashir Mehmand pleaded before the court that this was a petition seeking Zardari’s disqualification under Article 62(1)(F) of Constitution which was filed on basis of verified documents.

He argued that the Sindh High Court (SHC) had earlier given a verdict that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not the relevant forum for such matters.

After hearing the arguments, the court removed the objections of registrar office and accepted the petitions for initial hearing. Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the petitioners had to satisfy the bench that this was a matter of public interests and should be heard on the priority basis.

He observed that the petitioners should have approached the investigation departments as they already knew that there were a number of pending cases in IHC. Why the court should hear this case on the priority basis, he remarked.

The IHC chief-justice observed that the court had to see a number of cases of the people those were in jails. This was the time to strengthen the Parliament, he said, adding that the House should form a special committee to view this matter.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case for an indefinite time.