Nawaz smoulders as SC allows Musharraf to contest elections

Former premier draws parallel between 'treatment' being meted out to two

ISLAMABAD: Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday lamented that while former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf was enjoying virtual immunity despite violating the Constitution, he had been barred from visiting his ailing wife in London.

“It is beyond comprehension that Musharraf has been permitted to contest the elections,” Sharif said while speaking to the media outside the accountability court.

He was referring to the Supreme Court’s directive allowing former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to file nomination papers to contest the July 25 general elections on the condition that he would appear in person before the court on June 13 in Lahore to attend the court hearing.



A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday said that if Musharraf submitted his nomination papers, they would be received by the returning officer, cautioning that the fate of the papers would be decided later.

Sharif said the former dictator was enjoying virtual immunity while he was barred from visiting his ailing wife in London and listed all the cases the former president stood accused in.

“Placing the judges under house arrest, May 12 Karachi violence case, abrogation of the Constitution, high treason case, Akbar Bugti murder case, Benazir murder case and involvement in the Lal Masjid operation.

“He is named an accused in all, yet he is promised on-arrival leniency. I, on the other hand, cannot even obtain five-day permission to visit my wife,” Sharif said.

“On the one hand,” Sharif said, “Musharraf is facing treason trial while on the other hand he has been granted conditional permission to contest elections.”



“Under what law has he been allowed to contest elections?” he questioned, saying, “I want to see such laws too.”

The PML-N supreme leader said it was beyond one’s comprehension how Musharraf got to enjoy preferential treatment. “Illegal,” he said.

“Where does Article 6 stand now? How can one individual be above law and the Constitution?”

He wondered if there is any law that can empower someone sitting in a high office to give assurance to a military dictator who is standing trial in a number of cases.

“How can the chief justice extend such an offer to someone accused of high treason?" Sharif enquired.