The bench decided to proceed ex-parte with the petitions as nobody had been appearing on behalf of federal government for the last many hearings. The bench had also sought appearance of federal law secretary, but he did not turn up too. A K Dogar said in his Thursday's arguments before the court that the court had to decide the eligibility of Asif Ali Zardari to hold the office of President as holding a political office simultaneously.
Dogar said that Zardari suffered pre-election disqualification as he had filed nomination papers for a non-political office while holding a political office. During the course of hearing, the bench referred to the case of former president Musharraf. It observed that the apex court had already decided the matter of president dual office on merits but it was not implemented. A K Dogar of Pakistan Lawyers Forum, Engineer Ghulam Jillani and Asif Mahmood Khan Advocate had moved these petitions.
On June 21, the lawyers' panel of President Asif Ali Zardari headed by Talib H Rizvi had walked out from the court in protest after the bench dismissed an application challenging maintainability of the petition against dual office of the president. According to the petitioners, the act of President Zardari of holding political office was in clear violation of article 41 (1) of the constitution. Petitioners prayed to the court that President Zardari should be directed to surrender the office of co-chairperson of PPP.