PML-N disowns Zafars plea for Musharraf trial
* PML-N information secretary says party to take issue to court after exhausting all political options
ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Syed Zafar Ali Shah on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the government to try former president Pervez Musharraf under Article 6, but the party itself disowned the plea.
PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said Senator Zafar had filed the petition in his own capacity.
Talking to a private TV channel, Ahsan said Musharrafs trial was a political issue and the PML-N was trying to build a consensus on the matter, adding that the government did not require a parliamentary resolution for trying Musharraf.
Exercise: Ahsan said it was only a matter of time before his party went to court to take up the issue, but it would explore all political options first.
Earlier, Shah filed the constitutional petition in the SC under Article 184 (3), naming the federation and the former president as respondents.
He submitted that a 14-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had declared the imposition of emergency on November 3, 2007 by Musharraf illegal and unconstitutional.
Therefore, he requested the court direct the federation to act in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the constitution to initiate criminal proceedings against Musharraf under the High Treason Act, 1973.
Shah told Daily Times that he had filed a petition on the basis of the SCs July 31 decision.
He said the 14-member bench had held that Musharraf, in the garb of emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), had made amendments in the constitution by self-acquired powers which had all been unconstitutional, unauthorised, without legal basis and without any legal consequences.
Shah said the former president had overturned the entire political and democratic system by abrogating the constitution and was liable to be punished under Article 6.
He said he had requested the apex court to direct the federal government to initiate legal proceedings against the former military dictator in line with the SC decision.
Earlier on Wednesday, the PML-N decided not to move a parliamentary resolution seeking Musharrafs trial under Article 6.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had informed the National Assembly that his government would try Musharraf for high treason only if the parliament adopted a unanimous resolution. staff report/daily times monitor
* PML-N information secretary says party to take issue to court after exhausting all political options
ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Syed Zafar Ali Shah on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the government to try former president Pervez Musharraf under Article 6, but the party itself disowned the plea.
PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said Senator Zafar had filed the petition in his own capacity.
Talking to a private TV channel, Ahsan said Musharrafs trial was a political issue and the PML-N was trying to build a consensus on the matter, adding that the government did not require a parliamentary resolution for trying Musharraf.
Exercise: Ahsan said it was only a matter of time before his party went to court to take up the issue, but it would explore all political options first.
Earlier, Shah filed the constitutional petition in the SC under Article 184 (3), naming the federation and the former president as respondents.
He submitted that a 14-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had declared the imposition of emergency on November 3, 2007 by Musharraf illegal and unconstitutional.
Therefore, he requested the court direct the federation to act in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the constitution to initiate criminal proceedings against Musharraf under the High Treason Act, 1973.
Shah told Daily Times that he had filed a petition on the basis of the SCs July 31 decision.
He said the 14-member bench had held that Musharraf, in the garb of emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), had made amendments in the constitution by self-acquired powers which had all been unconstitutional, unauthorised, without legal basis and without any legal consequences.
Shah said the former president had overturned the entire political and democratic system by abrogating the constitution and was liable to be punished under Article 6.
He said he had requested the apex court to direct the federal government to initiate legal proceedings against the former military dictator in line with the SC decision.
Earlier on Wednesday, the PML-N decided not to move a parliamentary resolution seeking Musharrafs trial under Article 6.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had informed the National Assembly that his government would try Musharraf for high treason only if the parliament adopted a unanimous resolution. staff report/daily times monitor