Islamabad, Oct 18 : The deployment of the armed forces in Pakistan’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan has been challenged before the Supreme Court here.

An appeal has been made to the apex court to restrain the respondents from the use of force against tribals.

The Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bajaur Agency, and former MNA Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid filed the civil miscellaneous application through his counsel Farooq Hassan.

The petitioner had also filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution recently, challenging the army action in Bajaur Agency. He has made the Federation of Pakistan and Aiwan-e-Sadr through secretary to the president as respondents in the petition.

The petitioner has prayed to the court to declare that the use of force by the respondents in Bajaur Agency on October 30, 2006 in which over 80 defenceless civilians, mostly students and teachers, were killed was unlawful and unconstitutional.

In the application, the petitioner prayed to stay the military action in the tribal belt in the national interest, The News reported.

The petitioner also prayed that outside powers must be stopped from interfering in the affairs of tribal regions, adding that the operations had proved to be a setback for the army itself. (ANI)