No plans to remove COAS, ISI chief: AGP tells SC
21 January, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq assured the Supreme Court on Friday that the government had no intention to remove chief of the army staff (COAS) and the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The court, however, sought a written assurance from the government within two weeks that it had no any intention to sack COAS Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI Director General Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha. A three-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez heard the petition, seeking to block any attempts by the government to sack the army and the ISI chiefs. Appearing on the court's notice, the attorney general assured the court that the government had no intention to remove the COAS and the ISI director general and they would complete their tenures. He said that the petition against any possible move to sack the military and intelligence leadership was based on assumptions and hypothesis. The chief justice 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 attorney general to take formal instructions from the government and submit before the court the reply in writing over the issue within fortnight. "We want to resolve the issues and it would be better in the interest of the country as well as nation," the chief justice observed, adding that it was their own issue. The petition seeking to block any attempts by the government to sack the military and intelligence leadership was filed by Advocate FK Butt a few weeks ago when a confrontation between the army and the government came to a head in Pakistan with the ISPR warning that the prime minister's critical remarks against him and the ISI chief over the memo scandal could have "very serious ramifications" for the country. After ISPR statement, PM had removed Lt Gen (r) Naeem Khalid Lodhi from the post of defence secretary. The petitioner said there were apprehensions that such adverse orders could also be passed against the COAS and the ISI DG, which might result into confrontation. End.
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