August 23, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 20, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 22: A petition seeking trial of Gen Pervez Musharraf (retired) for “abrogation and subversion of the Constitution” was re-filed in the Lahore High Court on Friday with a fresh prayer to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Earlier, the LHC registrar office had returned the petition with objections, stating that it lacked urgency and could not be taken up during summer vacation. Petitioner-lawyer Kamran Masood Mirza said Gen Musharraf was likely to leave Pakistan and his name be placed on the ECL without any delay.

He prayed to the court that Gen Musharraf “be charged with high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution”. The petitioner said the respondent violated Article 244 of the Constitution on Oct 12, 1999, by removing the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his subsequent acts of holding the Constitution in abeyance and dissolving the assemblies were also a violation of the Constitution.

Musharraf again abrogated and subverted the Constitution by suspending it by declaring a state of emergency and issuing a Provisional Constitution Order on Nov 3, 2007.

He was also guilty of removing judges and taking measures to gag independent print and electronic media.

The lawyer said Gen Musharraf also indulged in illegality by holding offices of the chief of the army staff and the president of Pakistan simultaneously.

SP seeks time: The Lahore High Court has been informed that police will contact Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to ascertain the whereabouts of a Jamia Ashrafia student allegedly picked up by intelligence agencies.

An SP appeared before the court of Justice Hafiz Tariq Nasim here on Friday and stated that despite hectic efforts, the detenu could not be traced. However, he undertook to contact the IB and FIA for the recovery of the detenu.