The Lahore High Court here Tuesday giving last opportunity to federal government and chairman senate, directed to file their replies by April 20 in a petition seeking disqualification of Rehman Malik as Senator. On previous hearing, Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed had referred the matter to Chief Justice to constitute a larger bench and CJ had formed a two-member bench. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is the other member of the bench.
On Tuesday, Rehman Malik submitted a reply pleading there were no legal justification to hear the case as the President of Pakistan had already converted his removal from service into retirement. He prayed to the court to dismiss the petition. Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), also, apprised the court through a written reply that no one raised any objection at the time of filing Malik's nomination papers for senate seat and ECP acted in accordance with law.
About federal government reply, Deputy Attorney General, Ilyas Khan said he was assigned the case only couple of days ago after the removal of Naveed Inayat Malik. He sought time to obtain reply from federal government. Pursuant to court's order, former DAG Naveed Malik had produced copy of notification under which Malik's removal from services was converted into retirement.
A local citizen Mahfooz Ahmad had moved the petition submitting that Rehman Malik was removed from service in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 1998 and as such he was not eligible to be elected senate member. Petitioner had also challenged the notification, which converted removal of Rehman Malik into retirement pleading that the President had no authority to issue such notification.