Petitions against Musharraf's re-election bypassed HC : AG

Islamabad, Oct 5 (UNI) Demanding that the three constitutional petitions challenging President Pervez Muhsharraf's re-election bid be declared non-maintainable, Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum said such pleas cannot be filed in the Supreme Court.

''The aggrieved parties should approach High Courts under Article 199 of the Constitution as constitutional petitions related to presidential election cannot be filed in the Supreme Court under Article 184 (3),'' he submitted before a ten-judge bench of the apex court before which the petitions were pending.

Mr Qayyum said the petitioners should be directed to approach the High Court for a remedy as directly filing the pleas in the Supreme Court violates jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 199.

He contended that no stay should be granted on the electoral process as the Opposition was trying to buy time for the dissolution of the NWFP Assembly.

Citing various judgments passed by the Indian Supreme Court, Mr Qayyum said presidential election was held in India even after the dissolution of two provincial assemblies.

The three petitioners are -- Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, presidential candidates of the lawyer's and the PPP respectively and Rehan Waseem.

The bench headed by Justice Javed Iqbal adjourned the hearing and is expected to pronounce a verdict today.

UNI