Special court told: Gen Musharraf’s inner security cordon changed

Ex-president ordered to appear on Friday, but his lawyer says he won’t.

ISLAMABAD:

General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was exempted – for the sixth time – from indictment in the high-treason case on Tuesday due to security concerns, but the special court asked him to appear in court on Friday (March 14).

However, one of his senior lawyers categorically stated that the former military ruler will not make an appearance.

The three-judge special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, directed the interior secretary to make necessary arrangements to escort Gen Musharraf during his arrival and departure from the special court on Friday.

But this order triggered outcry among the former military ruler’s legal team. “Musharraf will be coming to court on your orders and if anything happens to him, then ultimately the bench will be held responsible,” Ahmed Raza Kasuri, one of his senior attorneys, exclaimed. “You will be judged in history as assassins.”

Kasuri’s “derogatory remarks” annoyed the judge and provoked this retort from Justice Arab, “Is that the way to argue a case? You are a counsel, not the party.”

But the relentless Kasuri continued, “The recent alert was issued by the interior ministry. If the complainant is saying that Gen Musharraf’s life is under threat, then it has to be taken very seriously.” He added, “This is not a gimmick. Human life is over and above everything else.”

The judge summoned the interior secretary and asked him to update the court about the arrangements he had made after receiving the threat alert. On Monday, the interior ministry had issued a letter, stating that intelligence agencies have warned of an attack by al Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Musharraf, possibly like the one on former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.

Interior Secretary Shahid Khan informed the court that security had been beefed up and the threat alert was actually an excerpt from an intelligence agency document, not a letter from the interior ministry.

He said 1,600 people have been deployed for the security of Gen Musharraf during his travel between the special court and the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC). “The security guards deployed for his inner cordon security and cavalcade have been duly replaced and screened by the department concerned,” he explained. According to the alert, the interior ministry had warned that some militants have been inducted in Musharraf’s inner cordon security.

Nevertheless, Justice Arab directed him to “let all necessary measures be taken in the wake of the threat by Friday, March 14 – the date when the court will read out charges against the accused”.

Meanwhile, Akram Sheikh, the head of the prosecution team, informed the court that the threat alert was issued by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) without the interior ministry’s consent and the interior secretary. He, however, said adequate security measures have been adopted to protect the former military ruler from a possible attack.

“We can provide security of the 111 brigade if the court orders to do so,” he offered. “If the court allowed us for taking Musharraf into custody then the federal government will be responsible for his security.”

Concluding Tuesday’s proceedings, the court exempted Gen Musharraf from appearance but asked him to appear on March 14.

Nevertheless, the court will continue hearing the applications of Gen Musharraf seeking the trial of his abettors and his cardiac treatment abroad today (Wednesday).

TTP denies Musharraf threat alert

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Umar Khalid Khurasani, the ameer of TTP’s Mohmand Agency chapter, said that the interior ministry threat alert about the TTP planning an attack on Musharraf is baseless.

“As the people of Pakistan are aware that the TTP has declared a month-long ceasefire with the government, we will honour our commitment. It is an obligation under Islamic Sharia,” Khorasani said in a statement.

Such statements should not be made for political gain as they can adversely affect the peace talks, he added.

No-show for Musharraf

Talking to reporters after the hearing, Kasuri said that Musharraf would not appear in court due to security reasons no matter what. “If anything happened to him the court and the government will be responsible.”

The court orders can only be followed if the judges guarantee Musharraf’s security.

“If the interior ministry itself claimed that there are serious threats to his life, then how can he appear in court,” he said, making it clear that the former military dictator will not appear before the court during the next hearing on Friday.

Legality of special court questioned

A petition was moved in the Supreme Court, seeking its direction regarding the suspension of the special court’s proceedings.

A Karachi-based lawyer, Sohail Ahmad, filed the petition, contending that the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Amendment Act 1976 is in violation of Article 6(3) of the Constitution. “Therefore, the special court proceedings have no legal effect,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2014.