Last chance: Govt told to submit reply to general’s petition

Petitioner says he was appointed as chief of army staff by President Rafiq Tarar on October 12, 1999.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High court on Monday gave the federal government one more opportunity to submit its reply to General (r) Ziauddin’s petition seeking release of retirement benefits.

A deputy attorney general had sought time to submit the government’s reply. The court adjourned hearing for two weeks.

The petitioner said he was appointed as chief of army staff by President Rafiq Tarar on October 12, 1999 on recommendations of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He said, soon after his appointment, he was detained by the army inside the prime minister’s house and later put into solitary confinement for two years.

He said he had a constitutional and could not be sacked from service by a usurper. He said his right to pension had also been taken away.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2014.