Musharraf case: Altaf seeks answers from legal experts, analysts
People demanding punishment for Musharraf should bring sound arguments, Altaf Hussain said.
LONDON (Web Desk) - Addressing the aware people of Pakistan, students of Constitution and law, particularly the top constitutional and legal experts of the country and political and defence analysts, the Chairman of Muttahida Quami Movement Altaf Hussain (MQM) said that he would bring some hard facts before the people who were demanding severe punishment for former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution by holding him solely responsible for the declaration of emergency.
He said either these people demanding punishment for Musharraf should bring sound arguments in response to his points, or they should take back their demand.
“Will the constitutional and legal experts and political and defence analysts like to answer under which article of the Constitution did the PCO judges of the Supreme Court validate the army action of 12th Oct 1999? Under which constitution was the military government of Gen Musharraf allowed to continue to work for three years? Under which constitution was the military government allowed to amend the Constitution?” Altaf Hussain asked in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He further asked “Why is it that some politicians and legal and constitutional experts were declaring the imposition of emergency of 3rd Nov 2007 as unconstitutional and not the deposition of the elected government and holding of the Constitution in abeyance on the 12th Oct 1999? How can they make allowance for or validate the military action of the 12th Oct 1999?”
Altaf Hussain stated that General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan and General Ziaul Hque had also imposed martial law in the country in utter violation of the constitutions but not a single general was held in captivity even for a second let alone a full hour.
“It is also pertinent to point out that when Gen Ziaul Haque had imposed the martial law, he had not only dismissed elected governments and assemblies but also arrested and hanged the elected prime minister. As against this, Gen Musharraf not only pardoned prime minister Mian Nawaz Shrif, although he was convicted by a court, but also allowed Mian Nawaz Sharif and his entire family to proceed to Saudi Arabia with his servants, attendants, and suitcases,” he added.
