Lawyers reject Musharraf’s pledge in SC

The petitions were filed by opposition leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami, cricketer turned politician Imran Khan and the Lawyers Forums headed by SCBA.

Mallik said Musharraf made a similar promise to remove his uniform in 2004 but did not do so. “That was a promise to some political parties. This time there is an undertaking before the Supreme Curt,” he told the media.

He said the undertaking cannot be relied on as Musharraf’s government recently flouted the apex court’s order permitting the return of former premier Nawaz Sharif by sending him back into exile in Saudi Arabia.

“You saw the orders of Supreme Court were flouted in the case of Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

Atejaz Ahesan, the lawyer who successfully defended Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry after his suspension by Musharraf, said that according to the president’s own admission, “the uniform is off”.

But he said Musharraf could still face problems in his attempts to get re-elected as president. “I still believe that there is a shadow of doubt over his candidature even without uniform; particularly if he tries to run in uniform,” Ahesan said.