'Musharraf petitions to be heard by full court'
Legal challenges to President Musharraf's re-election in uniform to be heard by a larger bench headed by the Chief Justice, says Pak SC.
By PTI |
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that legal challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's re-election in uniform should be heard by a larger bench headed by the Chief Justice, adding to the uncertainty over a new five-year term for the beleaguered military ruler.
An 11-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, which took up five petitions challenging Musharraf's candidature in the October 6 presidential poll, decided to ask Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to constitute a "full court" to hear the matter.
Musharraf swept the election, which was boycotted by the opposition due to his decision to contest without giving up the post of army chief, but has not been sworn in for a new term as the Supreme Court had ruled on October 5 that the result of the poll should not be formally notified till it decided on his candidature.
Among those who filed the petitions taken up today were PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim and retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmed, who had unsuccessfully contested the presidential poll.
Ahmed's counsel told the court that the petitions were of the "highest national importance" as they involved the role of the army in Pakistan's politics and constitutional affairs and deserved to be heard by a full court.
Attorney General Malik Qayyum, however, opposed this contention and said the government would object to the inclusion of four judges if a full court was constituted.
An 11-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, which took up five petitions challenging Musharraf's candidature in the October 6 presidential poll, decided to ask Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to constitute a "full court" to hear the matter.
Musharraf swept the election, which was boycotted by the opposition due to his decision to contest without giving up the post of army chief, but has not been sworn in for a new term as the Supreme Court had ruled on October 5 that the result of the poll should not be formally notified till it decided on his candidature.
Among those who filed the petitions taken up today were PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim and retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmed, who had unsuccessfully contested the presidential poll.
Ahmed's counsel told the court that the petitions were of the "highest national importance" as they involved the role of the army in Pakistan's politics and constitutional affairs and deserved to be heard by a full court.
Attorney General Malik Qayyum, however, opposed this contention and said the government would object to the inclusion of four judges if a full court was constituted.
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