Lodhi Sacking: IHC issues notices to Zardari, Gilani
19 January, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the president, prime minister on a petition challenging the removal of Lt General (r) Khalid Naeem Lodhi as defence secretary. Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan also issued notices to Establishment Secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi after Munir Paracha, the counsel for Lodhi, said rules and regulations were not followed while dismissing the former secretary. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani sacked Lodhi on January 11 for "gross misconduct" and "creating misunderstanding among state institutions". The government says Lodhi did not follow rules of business while submitting statements of the army chief and ISI DG in the memogate controversy to the Supreme Court (SC). Lodhi said in his petition that he was sacked without any charge sheet, a show cause notice or an inquiry into government's allegations against him. He said the respondents had pressured him to sign an affidavit prepared by government functionaries and which was in "complete conflict with factual position narrated by the army chief and ISI DG in their written statements". He said he had no moral justification to sign an affidavit prepared by someone else. The Prime Minister's Secretariat said the former defence secretary had been removed after a thorough investigation. The court adjourned the case until second week of February. End.
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