Musharraf’s tenure as army chief challenged
ISLAMABAD, May 14: Two petitions were filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, one by Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad challenging Gen Pervez Musharraf’s tenure as the army chief and the other by Abdul Rehman Siddiqui calling for a judicial probe into the incidents of killings and violence in Karachi.
Qazi Hussain in his petition pleaded that Gen Pervez had crossed his age of superannuation in August 2003 and he could not continue his army job after 60 years. He also sought a court order against Gen Musharraf’s tenure as chief of the army staff.
Gen Musharraf, he contended, was continuously violating the Constitution, law and service rules by addressing public rallies, adding that a government servant could not participate in public rallies under the existing service rules.
Gen Musharraf through secretary of the Aiwan-i-Sadr, Ministry of Defence and the Federation of Pakistan are respondents in the petition filed through Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
According to Qazi Hussain, Gen Musharraf had rendered himself disqualified to hold the office of the president by acting against the Constitution, law of the land, ideology of Pakistan, betraying the nation, defying the oath, failing to represent the unity of the republic, siding with and campaigning for political parties of his personal liking, dragging the army into politics for his own benefits, and by ridiculing the judiciary.
In his petition, Mr Siddiqui contended that the Sindh government had failed to protect the rights of the people of the province.
The Federation of Pakistan, Sindh chief secretary, Wasim Akhtar, adviser to the Sindh government, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain are respondents in the petition seeking immediate inquiry into the incidents of violence in Karachi.