11-12-07, 4:32 pm

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday issued notices to President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on two petitions, challenging the proclamation of emergency, according to local press reports.

New Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, heading an eight-member bench, issued the notices on the petitions, which were filed by lawyer Tika Iqbal Khan and Zafarullah Khan, who is the head of a smaller group 'Watan Party.'


The court adjourned the hearing till Nov. 15. The judges said that the case was very 'serious' and should be taken seriously.

Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum did not oppose issuance of the notices, but said that the questions raised in the petitions had already been dealt with in other similar cases.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General told reporters in the court building that a new bench of the Supreme Court would hear the case of General Musharraf's qualification to contest the presidential election in uniform, possibly on Thursday.

He dispelled the impression that the government was planning to issue an ordinance to qualify Musharraf's election.

Musharraf imposed emergency on Nov. 3, sacked then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and suspended the constitution. Ten out of the total 19 judges of the Supreme Court, who refused to show allegiance to Musharraf, were also sacked.

Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was appointed as the new chief justice, who, together with eight other Supreme Court judges, took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) promulgated by Musharraf on Nov. 3.

From Xinhua