Jobs of Kayani, Pasha: Supreme Court admits petition for hearing

The Supreme Court Tuesday accepted for preliminary hearing a petition seeking directions to stop the government from sacking Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez directed Registrar office to fix the petition before the court for regular hearing after it removed objections the Registrar's office had raised over the petition. The bench directed Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq to assist it on determining whether the objections raised by the Registrar's office were legitimate. He was also asked to take government's instructions whether it had any reservations on the petition.
The AGP submitted that he would examine the objections under the Supreme Court Rules, adding that the federation would raise its objections, if any, over the maintainability of the petition at an appropriate time. He, however, did not raise any objection on the fixation of the petition before the court for regular hearing.
During the preliminary hearing against the Registrar's office objections on the petition, the CJP noted that these objections could be heard in chamber, but the matter was fixed before the open court, keeping in view its importance. He said the court wanted to keep the public aware of its proceedings in the matter due to its importance.
Earlier on January 20, the AGP told the apex court that the government had no intention to remove the CoAS and the Director General ISI and that they would serve their tenure. The court, however, directed the AGP to present government's stance in writing within two weeks, stating that it had no intention whatsoever to sack the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha.
The AGP had contended that the petition against any possible move to sack the military and intelligence leadership was based on assumptions and hypotheses. The CJP had observed that the situation should move towards betterment. "It would be better if government submits its stance in writing," the Chief Justice noted and directed the AGP to take formal instructions from the government and submit a written reply before the court within a fortnight.
"We want to resolve the issues and it would be better in the interest of the country as well as the nation," the CJP said, adding that "it was our own issue". The petition seeking to block any attempts by the government to sack the military and intelligence leadership was filed by F.K Butt advocate a few weeks ago.