Court rejects petition seeking removal of Pervez Musharraf as APML chief

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday rejected a petition seeking removal of former Gen Pervez Musharraf as president of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).

A bench of the high court ruled that the petitioner had no locus standi to file the petition and directed him to approach an appropriate forum for the purpose.

Advocate Muhammad Afaq petitioned the high court, requesting it to declare the former military ruler ineligible to head his political party.

In the petition, he submitted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Musharraf to contest the general elections in 2013.

He was disqualified under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution, therefore, he could not hold a party office under the law, the petitioner argued.

He contended that the Supreme Court recently disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as president of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). The lawyer,  thus, requested the court to disqualify Musharraf from party office.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar struck down a controversial amendment to the Election Act 2017, which allowed Sharif to head his party.

The court also declared that all decisions taken by Nawaz as PML-N president since July 28 stand null and void after the judgment.