Pakistan's hard line Islamist leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging President Pervez Musharraf's continuation as army chief after crossing the age of superannuation.

The Jamaat-i-Islami chief, who is also the president of the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal, pleaded that Musharraf had crossed his age of superannuation in August 2003 and he could not continue his army job after 60 years.

He also sought a court order against Musharraf's tenure as chief of the army staff.

Hussain said Musharraf had rendered himself disqualified to hold the office of the president by acting against the Constitution, law of the land, betraying the nation, defying the oath, siding with and campaigning for political parties of his liking, dragging the army into politics for his own benefits, and by ridiculing the judiciary.

In his petition, Hussain also contended that despite being a government servant Musharraf was continuously violating the Constitution, law and service rules by addressing public rallies, flouting the rule that a government servant cannot participate in public rallies.

Hussain also regretted that his party as well other alliance partners of MMA extended support to the National and Provincial Assemblies to get Musharraf's constitutional amendments ratified in 2003 to enable him to prolong his stint in uniform.

"It was time the country returned to full fledged democracy and the military returned to its barracks," he said.

Meanwhile, another petition was filed in the court by one Abdul Rehman Siddiqui calling for a judicial probe into the incidents of killings and violence in Karachi since

Saturday last.

In his petition, Siddiqui contended that the Sindh government had failed to protect the rights of the people of the province.

The Federation of Pakistan, Sindh chief secretary, Wasim Akhtar, adviser to the Sindh government, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain were made respondents in the petition.