'CIA, General Headquarters threat to Pakistan's democratic government'

Islamabad, Dec. 15 (ANI): The Pakistan Supreme Court has heard that the CIA and General Headquarters pose a threat to the current democratic government.

Hearing into petitions against the legality of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), federal government's lawyer, Kamal Azfar told a 17- member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that the both the Army Headquarter and the CIA were conspiring against the government and were a threat to democracy.

It is worth mentioning here that Azfar had filed a statement saying that the court should not derail the democratic system while deciding the NRO cases.

Replying to the apex court's question that who had asked him to file the application, Azfar said he did so on behalf of the Law Ministry.

"There are "extra-constitutional forces within and outside the country" that could derail the democratic set up," The Daily Times quoted Azfar, as saying.

The chief justice also questioned what made Azfar feel democracy would be threatened by the court decision, and said: "Such allegations will not be tolerated."

The court also accepted a petition by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif seeking the restoration of his petition against the NRO, which was earlier dismissed on account of non-prosecution. (ANI)