LAHORE, Sept 24: A former army general Ziauddin Butt has approached the Lahore High Court after 14 years for the release of post-retirement benefits and to claim that his removal as ‘chief of army staff’ by the then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf (retired) was illegal.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan took up the petition on Tuesday and directed a deputy attorney general to assist the court on the point whether the petition could be entertained after a lapse of 14 years.

The judge fixed Oct 16 for hearing of the petition and also asked the federal government’s law officer to tell the court as to why departmental appeal of the petitioner had not been decided so far.

Gen Butt (retired) in his petition submitted that then president Rafiq Tarar had on Oct 12, 1999, appointed him the chief of army staff on recommendations of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, he said, soon after his appointment, he along with the PM was detained by armed troops inside the prime minister’s house in implementation of a conspiracy. The petitioner said he was put into solitary confinement for two years.

During the confinement, he was dismissed from service, his properties were seized and pension was also withheld, the petitioner said.

He pointed out that no action had been taken despite repeated appeals made to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in this regard within stipulated time.

Gen Butt (retired) pleaded that being holder of a constitutional post, he could neither be ousted except in accordance with law nor sacked from service by a usurper (Musharraf). He said his right to the grant of pension had also been snatched without providing him an opportunity of being heard.

The petitioner prayed to the court to declare that his removal was illegal and order the authorities concerned to release his properties and the post-retirement benefits.