LAHORE, May 24: A petition was filed on Friday in the Supreme Court for holding of a judicial inquiry into the plane hijacking case against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by former military ruler Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf.

Lt-Col Attiquzaman, Lt-Gen Usmani, Lt-Gen Muhammad Aziz, Lt-Gen Mahmood Ahmad, Lt-Gen Nasir Ahmad and Major Zafarullah Khan have been made a party in the petition moved by citizen Najma Ahmad of Johar Town, Lahore.

She submitted that then chief of army staff Pervez Musharraf had toppled the democratic government of Nawaz Sharif after the latter lawfully terminated the former from the post of army chief.

She said at the time of termination orders Pervez Musharraf was in a plane and he refused to accept the orders issued by the then prime minister.

She said the army men had been deputed at the airport, radio and television stations when Musharraf reached Karachi from Colombo on Oct 12, 1999, and by that time Nawaz Sharif had been arrested.

The petitioner said the very next day Musharraf had addressed the nation and the FIR for the alleged plane hijacking had been registered against Nawaz Sharif after 29 days accusing him of hijacking the plane wherein he (Sharif) was not aboard.

She stated that the unconstitutional acts of respondents left disastrous effects on the country and pushed the whole nation into the so-called war on terror which had claimed countless precious lives.

The petitioner said Mr Sharif being prime minister was fully authorized to terminate the COAS and Musharraf had no right to exercise his powers as army chief after the removal.

She prayed to the court to constitute a judicial commission for holding an inquiry into the matter so that the responsible could be brought to the justice.