We have strong evidence against Musharraf in treason case: prosecution

Punishment can either be death penalty or life imprisonment, says Attorney General Munir A Malik.


Web Desk November 20, 2013
Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General Munir A Malik stated that there is strong evidence against former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the treason case, Express News reported on Wednesday.

The punishment can either be death penalty or life imprisonment in this case, he added.

The evidence won't take long and the decision will be made quickly by the special court, he further said, adding that as soon as the special court receives the complaint the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be authorised to make the arrest.

Malik also said that the power to give bail lies with the special court as well and if the accused appeals then the court will listen to it.

President's approval

Secretary of Law and Justice Barrister Zafarullah Khan said that a summary of the case against Musharraf has been sent to President Mamnoon Hussain for approval, Express News reported on Wednesday.

The special court will be free to conduct its investigations independently, Zafarullah said.

He added that once the president approves the summary, the Ministry of Information will issue a notification about the special court.

Funds for the hearing and investigation will be decided after a discussion with the Ministry of Finance and the location of the hearing has not been decided yet, the law minister stated.

Treason case

The government had requested the Supreme Court on November 18 to constitute a ‘special court’ to try former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for high treason as he had violated the consitution by imposing emergency rule in the country in November 2007.

“Following the judgment of the Supreme Court and a report submitted by an inquiry committee, it has been decided to start proceedings against Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution,” Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had told a news conference in the federal capital on November 17.

“It is happening for the first time in the history of Pakistan. This case is very sensitive and important and the decision has been taken in the national interest,” he had added.

The move comes after Musharraf was granted bail in other criminal cases against him, including the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, slaying of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and Lal Masjid siege.

The process for the first treason trial of its kind in Pakistan took a giant leap on November 19 when a three-judge special court was constituted to prosecute former military ruler Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The development came hours after Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry forwarded the names of five judges he received from the chief justices of the high courts.

Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court (SHC) will head the special court which will include Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) and Justice Yawar Ali of the Lahore High Court (LHC) as its members. The two judges dropped from the list were Justice Yahya Afridi of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

COMMENTS (45)

Mehmood | 10 years ago | Reply

Log Live Musharraf! Long Live SSG!

Assad | 10 years ago | Reply

@MA, gp65: Doubt this comment of mine would be printed, but you people are pretty amazing.

MA asks me, "Can you confirm if NO children or women were killed in Lal Masjid assault?"

Why would I confirm that? Someone who has lost a wife or a child in the Lal Masjid operation should come to the courts to make this claim. If they are not then this is a non-issue and so far not ONE family has come forward because our men in uniform made sure that all the women and children were out before they went after the heavily armed militants inside the masjid/school.

The above is quite simple and even logical but if logic escapes you entirely, what can one say or do then?

gp65: "In his own book Musharraf talks about of millions of dollars of bounty claimed by handing over Pakistanis to Americans."

Have you even read the book? I have and a total of 3 times. Musharraf clearly writes about the criteria of those who were handed over. They were "non-Pakistani" citizens of foreign countries whose own native countries "refused" to take them over. Do you get that? This is the reason that at Guantanamo, where all the detainees have been recorded, not a single Pakistani has said that they were sent over by the Pakistani government. Almost all of the Pakistanis were captured in Afghanistan by the ANA and sent/sold over to the US/CIA.

Khuda ka wasta, learn to be honest and truthful. You are digging your very own graves by continuing to lay lies at the foundation of this poor country. We are a nation of liars who have these dreams of grandeur and this is why we are never going to get to that state of grandeur. The rehmat of Allah swt has escaped us because of our lies and deceit in all matters.

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