Pakistan Muslim League (Q) stalwart and former federal minister Ijazul Haq on Tuesday applauding the Supreme Court said Pervez Musharraf should be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution as the steps taken by him on November 3, 2007 were unconstitutional. Addressing media at the Supreme Court, Ijaz said that proceedings under Article of the Constitution are very simple and there was no need for a parliamentary resolution.
He censured the PML-N saying it was playing the role of a 'friendly opposition'. He urged setting up of a judicial commission for reviewing all such matters since 1947 responsible for the derailment of the system in the country. "Everyone should have to explain the charges against him," he added.
"Those who used the agencies and those who were used by the agencies be held accountable," Ijaz added. Ijaz said there is need for change in the system and it can be done by purging it off the corrupt to pave way for fresh leadership to steer the country of crisis. To a question regarding his presence in the Cabinet at the time of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was sacked in 2007, Ijazul Haq said he had opposed the move at that time. And afterwards, he said, he congratulated the CJ over his reinstatement. Earlier, the SC dismissed an election petition of Pakistan People Party (PPP) MPA Rauf Khalid from PP-284 (Bahawalnagar) disqualifying him to be chosen as an MPA.
A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja dismissed the petition of Rauf Khalid saying Khalid was suffering from a pre-election disqualification. Haq had prayed the LHC to declare his opponent Rauf Khalid not qualified to be chosen as MPA and he be declared as lawfully and legitimate returned candidate from PPP-284 as he had secured the second highest number of votes ie 24,232 against 26,888 in the 2008 elections.