The government will move a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against a high court order quashing the appointment of four air marshals, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

"As regards yesterday's high court order, we will study it carefully and then go for an SLP in the apex court," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Mukherjee said the process of setting up an Armed Forces Tribunal is being expedited to ensure that military matters do not go to civil courts.

•  Air chief indicted in promotions case

The court quashed the February 2003 order of the Special Promotion Board of the Indian Air Force, denying promotion to two air vice-marshals, T S Chhatwal and Harish Masand, to the rank of air marshal.

A division Bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice H R Malhotra, which also quashed the 2002 promotions policy of the air force, directed concerned authorities to convene another SPB within four weeks to reconsider Chhatwal and Masand for promotion as per the 2004 air force promotion policy.