LAHORE, March 27: Advocate Mian Hanif Tahir on Monday moved the Lahore High Court in a constitutional writ petition seeking a directive to President Gen Pervez Musharraf barring him from political activities, saying it was against the oaths of his both offices.

Challenging the president’s address to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League’s centenary convention at the Minar-i-Pakistan on March 23, the petitioner stated that he had violated his oaths both as president and the chief of army staff under the Constitution which enunciated that he was to act as non-partisan with regard to political parties.

But, according to the petition, Gen Musharraf had practically threw his weight behind the ruling party as if he was launching the party’s election campaign.

In the same convention, Gen Musharraf maligned the exiled leadership of the PPP and PML-N, calling into question their patriotism which amounted to violation of the Constitution, the petition added.

The lawyer-petitioner also impleaded the chief election commissioner as a party, seeking a court direction in his (CEC’s) name that he should take corrective measures so that the president did not indulge in political activities.

He submitted that the CEC was also under an oath to take notice of president’s unconstitutional activity.