Gen (retd) Musharraf has never appeared before the court stating health issues. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA:
The war of words between two federating units – Sindh and Balochistan – is hampering formation of a medical board, which will determine whether former military ruler Gen (retd) Musharraf is actually facing health issues and cannot attend hearings of case, in which he is the chief accused.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta indicted Musharraf along with co-accused – former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and former Balochistan home minister Shoaib Nausherwani – in a case regarding murder of Balochistan’s former chief minister and Jamhoori Watan Party’s chief Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Bugti, along with his more than 35 comrades, was assassinated during a military operation near Dera Bugti and Kohlu on August 26, 2006. The operation was allegedly ordered by the former president Musharraf.
In 2009, an FIR was lodged against him and others on the complaint of Nawab Bugti’s son. However, there has been no progress in the investigation since 2009. Musharraf has never appeared before the court stating health issues. Following the directives of the ATC Quetta, Balochistan government approached Sindh government to constitute a medical board of senior doctors and examine the health condition of former president Pervez Musharraf.
“However, in response to the Balochistan government’s request, Sindh Government replied with a letter asking ‘Where is Musharraf?’,” Balochistan Director General Health Farooq-e-Azam told The Express Tribune.
“The government of Balochistan will approach Sindh government again and ask whether it will constitute a medical board or let Balochistan send its board to examine the health of Musharraf,” he said.
He said Balochistan government has already proposed names of seven vary senior doctors.
“Musharraf has been living in Karachi. Thus, the government of Sindh was approached to constitute the medical board,” he said, adding that the responsibility of the board is to ascertain whether the medical certificates submitted by Musharraf lawyers in the ATC are correct or not. However, the health department confirmed that there was no progress in constituting medical board.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2015.
COMMENTS (9)
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Great idea, Rex. Send this case to the military court and then you should watch how many seconds they take to do the right thing, which is to throw this case in the trash. A military chief and president of the time being taken to court for a military operation against self confessed murders and insurgents against the national forces - is that what you stand for? Shameful as it is, this case will not have seen the light of day in any respectful country.
Lol @ Govt of Sindh >Where is Musharraf?<
Since the guy has been indicted by the civilian court, how come he is not being subjected to the military court now for sentense?
Rex Minor
@Prada: Excuses are being made and very rightly so as well. It is stupid to drag the President and PM of the country into cases where the Law Enforcement Agencies have taken action against a person who has picked up arms against the state. If this is allowed then anarchy will reign in Pakistan (we are pretty close to it if you have not figured this out by now). Come tomorrow, the killers of the APS Peshawar children will be bringing Nawaz Sharif and party to courts for taking action against them. Our courts are stupid because they pander to local politicians like Bugti's son. Why is there not a case against Bugti for killing four Army officers? It is Nawab Bugti who is guilty of crimes against the State of Pakistan, not Pervez Musharraf who did not give in to Bugti's blackmail. This is the reality that all are skirting around. Bugti wanted millions to flow through him, and wanted absolute power over others so he could kick them off their lands and allow his cronies to stick around and someone had to say no to this and it happened to be Pervez Musharraf. This is the hard reality of this case. It is not about Baloch nationalism. Bugti was starving and displacing his very own sub tribes (Kalpars) from their own lands.
why is he always ill or medically unfit to stand trial. this just show he is a gunde in the world politics. he is waiting for imran to free him on all charges. sharif is a silly man to not have arrested for toppling a democracy and going to waste its economy
i wish our courts were able to pursue terrorists case the way they are after Gen. Mushraf ... NiL performance so far by CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry and his allies
@Prada:
You got it all wrong my friend. By not appearing in the court, Musharraf is saying he is not afraid of anyone and look how helpless court and judge look in their actions. They cant do anything despite their best efforts.
Why the excuses Commando sb? You said that you were afraid of nobody. What happened to your famous "mukka"?
A complete waste of time. A vengeful FIR with no basis. It would be like someone filing an FIR against the present army chief for Waziristan operation.