By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has said failure on the part of lawmakers has led to martial law in the country.
Dogar Tuesday heard petitions against the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) and emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf on Nov 3.
“Parliament’s failure has given way to martial law,” Dogar said while responding to petitioner barrister Zafarullah Khan’s argument that the reasons cited by Musharraf for imposing emergency rule could have been placed before the parliament for a solution, the Daily Times reported.
Responding to Zafarullah’s argument that the solution to every problem was laid down in the constitution, Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf of the bench said the constitution did not provide a solution in a situation where organs of the state interfered in each other’s affairs and indulged in confrontation.
Zafarullah said that only the president could proclaim emergency, not the army chief.
Dogar, who was appointed chief justice after Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry was sacked following emergency rule in the country, however, said parliament had allowed Musharraf to hold both offices.