Petition for elevating COAS dismissed

Justice Aamer Farooq says the petitioner's contention falls within the domain of the legislature

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court dismissed on Thursday a petition seeking to elevate the current Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to the rank of field marshal.

Justice Aamer Farooq stated that the petitioner's contention regarding the elevation to the post of field marshal" falls within the domain of the legislature and no direction can 144% be issued to the legislator to this effect".



On Tuesday, the IHC reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition which seeks the elevation of Gen Raheel to the rank of field marshal for his “exemplary services and sacrifices rendered for the nation.”

Justice Farooq reserved his verdict after the counsel concluded arguments over the maintainability of the petition. Sardar Adnan Saleem, through his counsel Raja Saimul Haq Satti, petitioned the court arguing that the elevation is an emergent need in the present delicate circumstances in the country.

During the hearing, the court asked the petitioner’s counsel if there was any provision in the law regarding the prayer in the petition. To this, the counsel admitted that there was no such provision.



The petitioner made the federation through the Cabinet secretary, the Prime Minister through the principal secretary to the PM, and the Defence secretary respondents in the petition.

Former president Ayub Khan is the only person to have been granted the rank of field marshal in the history of the Pakistan Army. Khan, who became president of Pakistan in 1958 after a military coup, gave himself the promotion in 1965.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2016.