Treason trial: FIA to probe charges against Musharraf

PM decides to constitute team; directs interior secretary to inform FIA head to set up one.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to constitute a special investigation team comprising senior Federal Investigation Agency officials to probe the November 3, 2007 emergency imposed by then president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

The decision was submitted by Attorney General Munir A Malik in the Supreme Court on Wednesday in response to the apex court’s query on what steps the government had taken to proceed against Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

A three-judge bench of the SC, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, will on Thursday (today) take up a set of petitions seeking the court’s direction to initiate the treason trial against the former president.

At the last hearing, the apex court bench had sought from Malik by June 26 the process and mechanism that will be adopted for bringing those persons who were guilty of high treason to justice.

According to the statement presented by Malik, “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the secretary interior to forthwith direct the DG FIA to constitute a special investigative team of senior officer to commence the inquiry and investigation in relation to the acts of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on 3rd November 2007 that may amount to high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.”



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also “directed to finalise as expeditiously as possible the statement of case to be put up by the federal government before the Special Court to be constituted under the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act 1976.”

The statement further added that the law entrusted the investigation of the offence of high treason to the FIA under entry number 14 of the Schedule of the FIA Act, 1974 read with the Sections 3(1) and 6.

“However, in order to ensure expeditious completion of the inquiry and investigation, the prime minister is also considering the constitution of a commission to oversee and monitor the progress of the proceedings,” the reply read.

“Upon the completion of the investigation, the government shall file the requisite complaint under Section 5 of the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act 1976 and take steps to constitute the Special Court in accordance with Section 4 of the said Act for the trial of the offence.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2013.