Lahore: A constitutional petition has been
filed in a Pakistani court seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for allegedly committing "high treason" by defying orders of the Supreme Court and
attempting to subvert the Constitution.
A man named Allah Baksh Gondal filed the petition in
the public interest in Lahore High Court yesterday through
lawyer A K Dogar, who is also counsel for Jamaat-ud-Dawah
chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.
Gondal contended that Gilani, by deliberate defying the
Supreme Court`s orders and through his repeated attempts to
subvert the Constitution, had forfeited the "sacred trust" and
ceased to hold his office by automatic operation of the
provisions of Articles 5, 6 and 92(2) of the Constitution.
The federal government, Gondal said, had started a
confrontation with the apex court after it struck down the
National Reconciliation Ordinance, a controversial graft
amnesty, in December 2009.
He contended that the government had not complied with
directions repeatedly given by the apex court to write to
Swiss authorities about reopening corruption cases against
President Asif Ali Zardari.
He said the Pakistan People`s Party`s leaders called for
a strike in Sindh and Zardari`s aide Zulfiqar Mirza publicly
attacked apex court judges.
The PPP also called a general strike and a protest day
across Sindh against the apex court`s judgment removing
Justice Deedar Hussain Shah from the office of chairman of the
National Accountability Bureau.
Gondal further said the premier had taken no step to
implement a Lahore High Court order wherein Zardari was
expected to dissociate himself from the political office of
PPP chief at the earliest.
He said the High Court’s order also desired a halt to
use of the presidency for political activities but the premier
had not taken any action in this regard too.
He further alleged the President had assumed and
exercised absolute powers and the Prime Minister was a "mere
puppet in his hand".
He added, "Thus the dictatorship of Mr Zardari in garb
of democracy has subverted the third pillar of the state, the
Parliament."
PTI
