Musharraf treason case: Pak Army expresses anguish at special court verdict

RAWALPINDI (92 News) – The decision given by the special court about General (r) Pervez Musharraf has been received with lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed Forces, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In his press release, ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said that the army chief, chairman joint chief of staff committee and the president of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor. The DG ISPR also mentioned that the due legal process seems to have been ignored including constitution of special court, denial of fundamental right of self defence, undertaking individual specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste. The Pakistan Armed Forces expect that justice will be dispensed in line with Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention here that the statement comes after sources said a meeting of the top military leadership was underway at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi in the wake of the judgement. Earlier today, the special court handed down death penalty to former president Pervez Musharraf in the high treason case. A three-member bench of the special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and comprising of Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC announced the short verdict. However, one of the judge dissented from the sentence. According to the verdict, Pervez Musharraf had violated the constitution on November 3, 2007. It has been stated in the verdict that the violation of the constitution is proved against Pervez Musharraf and he is awarded death penalty under Article 6. The detailed judgment will be announced within 48 hours. The high treason case against the former president for clamping the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007, has been pending since December 2013. He was booked in the treason case in December 2013. Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former military dictator lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016. The special court had announced that it would deliver its verdict in the case today. However, the government’s prosecutor, Advocate Ali Zia Bajwa, said that they had submitted three petitions today.