Petition seeking Pak Army chief's elevation to field marshal dismissed

The Islamabad High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the status of field marshal for Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif.

Justice Aamer Farooq on Thursday observed that the matter falls within the domain of the legislature and the court lacks jurisdiction to direct the legislature in this regard, reports the Dawn.

When the petitioner's counsel Raja Saimul Haq Satti was asked by the judge if there was any law under which the federal government might be asked to elevate Gen Raheel to field marshal, Satti said the federal government might make a new law for the purpose.

In his order, Justice Farooq said: "No direction can be issued to the legislature to legislate a particular law."

The order declared that the petition was "without merit and dismissed".

The petition was filed citing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Secretaries of defence and cabinet division as respondents and said that General Raheel, whose three-year term is going to expire on Nov 27, launched the Operation Zarb-i-Azb against terrorists and it was still in progress.

It said that Geneneral Raheel also initiated and formulated the National Action Plan for the safety and security of Pakistan and was also monitoring the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The petition argued that it was a universal and divine law that whosoever rendered services for the nation and humanity "in an extraordinary, exemplary and selfless manner" shall be elevated to the highest level of the military hierarchy.