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PLF moves SC against army men’s political activities

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Pakistan Lawyers’ Forum (PLF) on Wednesday moved a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) requesting that President Pervez Musharraf and the corps commanders be restrained from taking part in politics.

The petitioner made the federation of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf and all corps commanders respondents in the plea and asked the SC to tell the federation to take action against the corps commanders and principal staff officers who, on June 1, had subverted the constitution by show of force.

PLF president AK Dogar stated that he had moved the petition after reading that the top military brass had attended a conference of corps commanders and principal staff officers at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi. He said the meeting was held for political purposes. He said every soldier took oath of not engaging in political activity and to honestly and faithfully serve the armed forces.

He stated that General Musharraf had seized power by force on October 12, 1999, arrested an elected prime minister, ordered the constitution to be held in abeyance, dissolved the elected parliament and forced the judges of superior courts to take oath to dispense justice according to his dictates instead of the constitution. He alleged that Gen Musharraf pressed the judiciary to break their oath taken under the constitution, destroyed the independence of the judiciary, politicised the army and broke his promise with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal of surrendering power on December 31, 2004.

He stated that Article 244 of the constitution prohibited any solider to engage in political activities. He requested the court to declare the statement issued by the corps commanders and principal staff officers in a conference held on June 1 at the GHQ a “serious violation of Article 244”. He requested the court to restrict the army officers from political activity. He also requested the court to issue directions to the federal government to initiate action against the corps commanders and the principal staff officers who attended the June 1 meeting. He said they were laible of punishment under Article 6 of the constitution read with section 3(b) of the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973.

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