The Islamabad High Court is set to take up a petition to prevent Prime Minister Imran Khan from sacking Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, ahead of the completion of his term.
The two have been locked in a power struggle, visible from Imran Khan’s recent comments that unlike India, the Pakistani military was corrupt.
Athar Minallah, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High has reached the premises, to take a view on a petition filed by Advocate Adnan Iqbal. Iqbal has filed his petition under Article 199 of the Constitution. He has listed the Federation of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Dr. Arif Alvi, Ministry of Law and the secretary of the Ministry of Defence as respondents, the Pakistani daily Dawn is reporting on its website.
So far, the Prime Minister has not issued such a petition that would show the incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) the door.
The daily said that the petition raised several questions, including whether the prime minister had "unfettered powers" to remove the COAS without providing a “cogent reason” to change the earlier decision of appointing him in the first place. Also, could the Prime Minister remove the army chief for "furtherance of political interests".
