ISLAMABAD: The special court formed to try former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf for treason under Article 6 of the Constitution on Tuesday adjourned its hearing until Jan 1 whereas the former military failed to appear in court after a bomb scare earlier during the day, DawnNews reported.
The start of former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf's trial for treason was delayed over security fears Tuesday after explosives were found near the road he was to take to court.
Lawyer Anwar Mansoor Khan told the special treason tribunal that the former general would not be able to attend, after police found five kilograms (11 pounds) of explosives and detonators.
Justice Faisal Arab, heading the three member bench, said he understood the “gravity” of Musharraf's situation and that treason was a non-bailable offense.
He asked the former military strongman's lawyers to file an application to exempt their client from appearing in person.
Moreover, Musharraf's senior counsel Barrister Sharifuddin Pirzada raised objections to the formation and appointment of judges for the bench hearing the case.
Justice Arab remarked that such objections should be submitted in writing.
The prosecuting lawyer requested the court to order Musharraf to appear in court adding that non-bailable warrants be issued upon failure to appear in court.
Advocate Ahmed Raza Kasuri, another lawyer for Musharraf, emphasised before the court, the threats faced by his client citing two previous attacks and other intelligence reports of possible attacks on him.
Justice Yawar, at this point, granted exemption to the former president from appearing for today's hearing.
The court decided to adjourn the hearing until January 1.
The government had on Nov 17 announced its decision to formally prosecute former president General Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court had already given a ruling in the case in October 2012 and then in July this year disposed off all petitions against the ruling giving the government a green signal to continue proceedings.
In the ‘high treason’ case against the former president, the government has charged him with abrogating, subverting, suspending, holding in abeyance and attempting to conspire against the 1973 Constitution by declaring emergency and overthrowing the superior judiciary in November 2007.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1076106/musharraf-treason-case-adjourned-until-jan-1
The start of former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf's trial for treason was delayed over security fears Tuesday after explosives were found near the road he was to take to court. — File Photo by APPakistan to try former dictator Pervez Musharraf for high treason | |
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Pervez Musharraf /Reuters  Musharraf has been charged with suspending the constitution when he imposed Emergency in November 2007. Legal experts say the charges carry death penalty or life imprisonment. A three-member special court will begin the trial at the building of National Library near the Supreme Court. The court has summoned Pervez Musharraf to appear before the judges drawn from a panel of judges of the country's five high courts, reports Xinhua. Musharraf's lawyers had tried to stop Tuesday's trial on the plea that the special court has no power to try a former army chief and that a military court can try him under the Army Act. The Islamabad High Court, however, rejected the petition Monday, and that removed all obstacles in the way of Musharraf's trial. Legal experts are of the view that the government case is strong as Musharraf had himself admitted imposition of the Emergency rule at a televised address. He, however, argued that he had taken the decision after being advised by then government that the security of the country had been threatened by some actions of then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and some other judges of the superior judiciary. Musharraf had also insisted that then elected prime minister Shaukat Aziz had recommended taking extra-constitutional measures of declaring the Emergency. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced in June the high treason case against the former military chief would be initiated for suspension of the constitution. The decision evoked mixed reaction as critics were of the view that Pakistan faces several serious challenges and cannot afford such a trial. Musharraf took over in a bloodless coup when he dismissed the government of the prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999. The 69-year-old former army chief currently lives in his farmhouse in Islamabad after he got bail in three high-profile cases, including the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf, who resigned in 2008 and went into exile, returned to the country in March this year to take part in parliamentary elections. However, a court disqualified him from standing in the May elections. | |
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