Are unhappy generals behind legal

challenge to extension for Bajwa?

TNN

ISLAMABAD: Is there more than meets the eye in the legal challenge to
Pakistan army chief General Qamar Bajwa’s three-year extension that led
to severe embarrassment for the general? Could the scheme have been
cooked up by generals whose prospects were effectively scuttled by
General Bajwa’s continuance?

Just two days ahead of General Bajwa’s completion of a three-year term as

army chief and before the Supreme Court was to decide his extension case,
the Pakistan army had announced a major reshuffle of its

top brass
. Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza was appointed Chief of General Staff —
the most important and prestigious appointment after the COAS. Lt Gen
Muhammad Amir was made adjutant general.

The list issued by Inter

Services

Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, also included names of
two corps commanders. Lt Gen Shaheen Mazhar Mahmood was made
commander of Mangla Corps (which deals with LoC and all India ops) and
Lt Gen Nauman Mehmood was appointed commander of

Peshawar

Corps (western border and anti-terror operations).

The petition in the Supreme Court against General Bajwa’s extension,

coming as it did just as the crucial appointments were finalised, was filed
by advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi, whose track record indicates that he has
invariably filed references against persons inconvenient for the army like
former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Qazi Faez
Isa.

Rahi is known for filing controversial petitions in courts. The latest

petition is seen to be something that could not be considered without
strong backing from within the military. Rahi has also challenged the
special court set up to try former president Pervez Musharraf for treason.
His antecedents strongly suggest that he was instigated to challenge
General Bajwa’s extension by asection of army officers who were adversely
affected by it, feel Indian sources. Lt Gen

Sarfraz Sattar

, who was the senior most after Gen Bajwa, retired after Lt Gen Nadeem
Raza was appointed chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee on
November 27. Gen Raza will serve for three years.

The appointment

is made by the prime minister. After Gen Raza, Lt Gen Humayun Aziz is
the senior most.

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