Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Wednesday sought
responses from the President and Prime Minister to a petition
filed by former Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Khalid
Naeem Lodhi challenging his sacking by the government.
Justice Riaz Khan of the Islamabad High Court asked the
President, Prime Minister, Establishment Secretary and the
current Defence Secretary to submit their responses to Lodhi`s
petition and adjourned the case till the second week of
Lodhi, a confidant of army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani, was sacked by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani last
week on charges of gross misconduct and creating
misunderstandings between the government and the military over
the alleged memo that had sought US help to stave off a coup
in Pakistan last year.
The memo has triggered a confrontation between the
civilian administration and the army.
Lodhi earned Gilani`s ire by filing an affidavit in the
apex court that said the government had no operational control
over the army and Inter-Services Intelligence.
In his petition, Lodhi claimed he had been sacked without
being given an opportunity to explain his position.
Lodhi`s lawyer asked the court to declare the
notification sacking him as invalid as it was illegal.
The High Court said this could not be done without
hearing the government`s views.
The judge then asked the respondents to submit their
responses to the court.
PTI
