Journalism of Courage
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This is an archive article published on December 7, 1999
Pakistan SC rejects plea to stop
ISLAMABAD, DEC 6: Pakistan's supreme court on Monday rejected a plea by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) to stop criminal proceedings agai...
Written by Press Trust Of India
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ISLAMABAD, DEC 6: Pakistan’s supreme court on Monday rejected a plea by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) to stop criminal proceedings against deposed premier Nawaz Sharif in the plane hijacking case and ordered day-to-day hearing on petitions challenging his ouster from January 31 by a larger bench.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saiduzzamam Siddiqui after hearing the petitioners — three in favour of the military takeover and two challenging it — said since the matter was of "sensitive nature" and it needed to be heard by a larger bench.
Justice Siddiqui directed that the matter for constitution of a larger bench be brought to his notice after January 17, by which time Attorney General Aziz Munshi was asked to submit a reply on behalf of the federation of Pakistan and other respondents.
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The court rejected a plea by PML leader Zafar Ali Shah to stop criminal proceedings against Sharif in an anti-terrorism court in Karachi. The "Prime Minister is facing a criminal trial and it must be stopped till January 17," Shah said, adding the outcome of the petitions before the apex court would decide the course of everything.
At this point a fellow judge, Nasir Aslam Zahid, made an obvious reference to the establishment of the anti-terrorism court by Sharif by asking Shah as to who had set up the court in which the deposed premier was being tried.
The PML, in its petition, termed the army action "illegal and unconstitutional" and sought direction from the court to set aside the overthrow of Sharif’s government.
