Farogh Naseem requests SC to stop Justice Waqar from working

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Federal Minister for Law Farogh Naseem on Thursday requested the Supreme Court to stop special court Justice Waqar Seth – who awarded death sentence to former president General (rtd) Pervez Musharraf in high treason case – from working. During a press conference along with Special Assistant on Information Fridous Ashiq Awan and Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, the law minister announced that the government decided to take legal action against Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth over his controversial observation in the detailed judgment. Farogh Naseem said that the Judge’s observation in the case proved him incompetent, terming him ‘mentally ill’, he said that the government will plead the SC to stop judge from holding the court immediately. He also mentioned that the words used in verdict are unconstitutional and unlawful. The federal minister announced that the government has decided to file a reference at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Justice Waqar for his observation in paragraph 66 of the case. “He has written that we direct all law enforcement agencies to arrest Musharraf and punish him according to the law. He has further written that if he is found dead, his corpse be dragged to D-Chowk and hanged for three days,” Farogh Naseem. “I do not understand what need the judge had to give such an observation,” he said, referring to paragraph 66 of the verdict in which the court ordered law enforcement agencies to hang his body for three days at the D-Chowk if he is found dead. The law minister said that Justice Waqar was ‘unfit’.

Detailed verdict flouted international laws

On the occasion, Shahzad Akbar said that he felt ashamed after reading the controversial paragraph. He said that the verdict had flouted international laws. He said that it was important to find out how the controversial paragraph was inserted in the verdict. “The mode and manner in which this trial was conducted is suspicious,” he said. He said that the verdict had made Pakistan a laughing stock in front of the whole country. Akbar said that the judge had spoiled the entire case by giving the judgement. “Should we take steps that cause institutions to clash with one another,” he asked. The special assistant further said that the government had reservations about how the trial was conducted. He said that a fair trial of the former military dictator should have been held.