High treason case: Police to ensure Musharraf appears in court on Monday

Four-member team is directed to arrest former president if he refuses to appear.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad police has formed a four-member team to make sure former military ruler Pervez Musharraf appears before the special court hearing high treason charges against him tomorrow (Monday).

The team, led by SSP Mustansar Feroz, has been directed to take Musharraf in custody and produce him before the court if he is not willing to appear voluntarily.

The team has been formed in compliance with the special court orders to the Islamabad police chief to arrest the former president if he fails to show up during treason case proceedings.

Musharraf’s legal team has contested the possible enforced appearance, saying the former president faces a real threat from miscreants. Currently, Musharraf is admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) for treatment.



This week, at least two federal ministers from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz advised defence authorities to discharge Musharraf for the ‘sake of the military hospital’s credibility’.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the former president’s legal team told The Express Tribune that they have started preparing for the treason trial.

“It is now obvious that Musharraf will be indicted and a trial will be concluded against him,” said another member of the team, who recently distanced himself from Musharraf’s party. “The special court has already established its writ by summoning Musharraf in the court along with his legal team,” he added.

The special court has rejected almost all of Musharraf’s applications and has set March 31 as the deadline for framing charges against him.

“Musharraf’s legal team will raise objections against the treason trial continuously,” revealed a close aide of the former president neither part of his legal team nor politically affiliated with him.

On the other hand, the prosecution has no objection if Musharraf is granted exemption after the framing of charges. According to prosecutors, the accused is not bound to appear before the court personally after the framing of charges and the trial can be concluded in his absence.

Zarin Musharraf shifted to ICU

According to media reports on Saturday, Musharraf’s mother, who has been in ill health for some time now, was shifted from Dubai to Sharjah’s W Wilson Hospital after her condition suddenly worsened. Musharraf had requested permission to visit his mother, Zarin Musharraf, in Dubai but his application was dismissed.

Doctors have said there is no update on her health yet but she is in the ICU. There is no confirmation as to which family member is taking care of her as Musharraf is in Islamabad facing the treason trial.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2014.