Karachi visit: Shujaat opposes Musharraf treason trial

Levelling treason charges against Musharraf will weaken morale of armed forces, says Chaudhry Shujaat.

KARACHI: Levelling treason charges against Pervez Musharraf will weaken the morale of the armed forces, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s chief Chaudhry Shujaat said on Friday.  Speaking to the media at the Karachi airport, he suggested that the word ‘treason’ not be used against Musharraf as he was “facing charges of subverting the Constitution, not treason” and that “treason was a harsh word to use”.  “The word treason has created resentment among the soldiers deputed on borders and mountains who feel as if the charges of high treason are being labelled against their leader,” he remarked. In response to a question, the PML-Q leader said that his party had not taken a U-turn on the Musharraf case. “It is not U-turn, but we have just swerved to the right.” When questioned about the military operation in North Waziristan, Shujaat said that the peace process has now come to a standstill and all political and religious parties should now come up with another strategy to counter terrorism. “Some leaders are trying to use the situation to their own advantage,”  he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2014.