Plea against Musharraf dismissed

LAHORE :A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday dismissed for not maintainable an appeal challenging a single bench order wherein a request to initiate criminal proceedings against former President Gen (R)  Pervez Musharraf for allegedly ridiculing judiciary was rejected.

Former secretary of Lahore High Court Bar Association Rana Asadullah Khan had filed the appeal with a prayer to set aside the dismissal decision of the single bench and initiate contempt proceedings against Petitioner Musharraf.  He said Pervez Musharraf in a television interview repeatedly claimed that the then Army Chief Raheel Sharif managed things for him against court proceedings under treason charges and secured a safe exit for him from the country. The lawyer said Musharraf candidly claimed that he was saved by influencing the courts, and said it was quite unfortunate the judiciary was not independent in the country. He said the former president in his interview also hoped that judiciary might start doing justice as behind the scene they (courts) work under pressure. Advocate Khan asked the court to direct the federal law ministry to initiate an inquiry against Musharraf for scandalising and ridiculing the institution of judiciary and also order Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to take action against the news channel for showing "derogatory" programme against the judiciary. He also sought cancellation of registration of All Pakistan Muslim League, the political party of Musharraf, for violating Political Parties Order, 2002, by allegedly working against the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan. The division bench comprising Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Jawad Hassan dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the single bench.