LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench on Wednesday disposed of several petitions pending since long against former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and former presidents retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari.

       The bench headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti disposed of the petitions for being infructuous. Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Shujaat Ali Khan are the other members of the bench.

       Advocate Rana Ilamuddin Ghazi had filed petitions against Musharraf and Zardari, while Advocate Shahid Naseem Gondal and Advocate Allah Bakhsh Gondal against Mr Gilani.

       These petitions were filed during the period from 2010 to 2012 were last heard by the LHC in 2017.

       All the three lawyers who had originally filed the pleas passed away during the pendency of their petitions. Senior lawyer A.K Dogar who was the counsel for Advocate Ghazi in one of the petitions also passed away last year.

       The bench disposed of another petition filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique seeking disqualification of ex-premier Mr Gilani.

       The petitions against Gen Musharraf had sought treason proceedings against the former president for imposing emergency in the country.

       In another petition, the court was asked to disqualify Mr Zardari for holding political office of the PPP while being in office of the country’s president.

       Against Mr Gilani, the petitioners said he continued to hold office of the prime minister despite his conviction under contempt of court charge by the Supreme Court.

       Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021