Pakistan’s Supreme Court Monday asked country’s former military ruler Parvez Musharraf to appear before the court tomorrow (Tuesday) in the treason case against him.

Islamabad, April 8/Nationalturk – In a major setback to country’s former military ruler General (Retd) Parvez Musharraf, Pakistan’s Supreme Court Monday asked him to appear before the court tomorrow (Tuesday) in the treason case against him.

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Jawad S Khawaja heard the petition against Musharraf today. Earlier, Pakistan’s Chief Justice Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry stepped down from the initially formed three-member bench to hear the case.

After the hearing, the Apex Court directed Musharraf to appear in person or thorough his counsel before the court on Tuesday (April 9).

Musharraf should not leave country:  Court

The court directed country’s Interior Ministry to ensure that the former military ruler does not leave the country.  “The court has also summoned a report from the Interior Ministry regarding the name of Musharraf being placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent him from leaving the country,” a lawyer, who was present in the court said.

The Supreme court has also issued a notice to the Pakistan government for its stance on the case.

Musharraf, who returned to Pakistan on March 24 to contest the May 11 general election after spending more than four years in self-imposed exile,  faces scores of legal cases, including the 2006 killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and termination of country’s top judges.

A petition had been filed in the apex court seeking prosecution of Musharraf under the High Treason Act 1973 for  suspending the Constitution and imposing emergency rule in 2007 – a move that had finally led to his downfall.

On October 12, 1999, then army chief Gen Parvez Musharraf had toppled the elected government of Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup and imposed military rule. Later in 2007, he had declared emergency rule and sacked dozens of superior court judges, putting many of them, including Justice Chaudhry, under house arrest.

Pakistan’s newspaper, Express Tribune, quoted senior legal expert Advocate Ali Zafar as saying, “As a head of the state, Musharraf was constitutionally empowered to impose emergency rule. The president has the authority to impose emergency rule – but Musharraf could be tried for treason if the court declares his November 3, 2007 steps unconstitutional”

He said misuse of authority [by the president] cannot be tantamount to high treason. “Musharraf could stand trial for treason if the court declares that he did not have the power to take such steps,” he added.

Musharraf’s papers accepted

Finally, there is a good news for embattled Parvez Musharraf. One of his nomination papers for contesting the May 11 general elections in Pakistan have been accepted by the officials.

Musharraf had filed papers to contest the general elections from four seats, including Karachi, Islamabad, Chitral and Kasur. However, his nomination papers from three seats were rejected by officials and his papers from Chitral constituency in restive Khyber Pakhtunwa province were accepted.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

 

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