ISLAMABAD: Senator Mushahidullah Khan, who lost his ministerial position because of a controversial interview that threatened to harm civil-military relations, is still in the eye of the storm.

On Monday, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking constitution of a high-level commission to investigate the controversy over an alleged audio tape containing conversation of former ISI chief Gen Zaheerul Islam.

Petitioner Advocate Tariq Asad asked the court to order the commission so constituted to fix responsibility for damaging the integrity of the country.

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In his interview to BBC Urdu on Aug 14, Mr Khan had claimed that “telephone discussions of the former intelligence head had been recorded in which he was giving directions on how to create chaos and take over the PM House”.

The petitioner said that if the allegations levelled by the former minister were proved to be false the court should ask the Senate to deseat him under Article 62 (f and h) of the constitution.

Similarly, he said, if the same allegations levelled by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif during the days of PTI’s Islamabad sit-in were proved to be false he should also be dealt with in accordance with law and deseated.

In case the tape’s existence is proved to be true, the petitioner said, strict action in accordance with law under Section 2 (1 d) of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 should be taken against Gen Islam.

Tariq Asad named the federal government through secretaries of the law and the cabinet division, Mushahidullah Khan, Khawaja Asif and ISPR Director General Asim Bajwa as respondents in the petition.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2015

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