ISLAMABAD
The Islamabad High Court on Saturday accepted an application for hearing filed by the country’s former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf against his trial for high treason in a civilian court.
Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of Islamabad High Court while accepting the application has fixed December 23 for hearing of General Musharraf’s application who is set to appear before a special court on December 24 in high treason case for imposing an emergency in the country on November 3, 2007.
Khalid Rhanja, a counsel for military dictator, submitted in his application that General Musharraf had imposed emergency as army chief, therefore he could only be tried under the army act rather than a civilian court.
The application stated that the emergency imposed by General Musharraf on November 3, 2007 was not an “arbitrary act”, and that it had the support of all relevant stakeholders.
The application referred to the then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and his cabinet.
Therefore, it said, the former military dictator could not be tried in court without including those who had taken part in imposition of the emergency.
General Musharraf is facing treason charge for imposing an emergency in the country on November 3, 2007 by imposing an emergency which held the Constitution in abeyance.
A seven member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry had declared General Musharraf’s act unconstitutional and illegal minutes after its proclamation, however security forces put several High and supreme court judges, including the then Chief Justice under house arrest.
Musharraf was forced to resign in August, 2008 when the then ruling party Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML) threatened to impeach him.
The federal government last month had appointed three judges for the special court to try Musharraf for high treason under Article 6.
Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court will head the special court, which has already summoned General Musharraf on December 24.
Musharraf is also facing trial in murder cases of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and former Chief Minister of Southwestern Baluchistan, and a veteran politician, Nawab Akbar Bugti. He is on bail in the said cases.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
