Former president Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: AFP
A three-member bench headed by Justice Faisal Arab heard the case today.
Interior ministry gave a 237-page report to the prosecutor of which 125 pages are various documents that were collected by the government. Statements of 24 witnesses are also included in the report which make up 94 of the pages. Also, summaries of the testimonies make up 6 of the pages of the report.
On May 8, a special court had accepted a plea that Musharraf be given access to a probe report and other relevant documents about his treason trial and the FIA was ordered to hand over the relevant documents by May 14.
The bench had also made it clear that it has ample power to try any abettor. The decision to implicate any other person would depend on what material comes on record in the shape of documents, extrajudicial statements and oral evidence and the evidence so produced might then connect any other person with the commission of the crime.
The legal team of the former president on April 24 had raised questions over the non-availability of FIA’s inquiry report, accusing the prosecution of deliberately withholding the documents related to the promulgation of the November 3, 2007 emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
Counsel for Musharraf Barrister Farogh Naseem had argued before the court that the prosecution’s witnesses could not be cross-examined until the report was received.
Nasim had also said that it was an essential pillar of the criminal justice process that the accused be allowed to set up his defence to the best of his abilities and this was only possible when the accused had access to all the information which the prosecution is relying upon in the case.
He had further said that if the relevant record would not be given, then it would be the violation of Article 25 of the constitution.
On March 31, Musharraf was formally charged for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. Musharraf had rejected the charges levelled against him.
You can view the five charges levelled against him here.
COMMENTS (9)
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@Javed...in a country where justice is only for the rich, where the poor die with hunger and where corruption is at its peak...why are you so worried about army intervention? Just because your stone gods 'the media and the politicians' have brainwashed you?
If Musharaf needs to be booked to stop army intervention...then please enlighten me who needs to be booked for corruption in courts, governments, government institutions, media channels, for massacring millions in the name of God, for the price hike and all of that? Why do you only see army as the evil when everything else is far worse? Wake up dude!
Musharraf is responsible for treason as he was the boss. He must be booked to stop army intervention in future.
@hamza khan: Yes absolutely..............but the bad by far outweighs the good.
@Parvez:
in the same vein then, he can be rightly credited for much of the successes and positive things the country saw during his 8 long years, no?
How about starting the trial? What's the purpose of arresting someone if you don't eventually determine his guilt or innocence. Further .. in most Democracies the prosecutor gather evidence to determine whether charges are filed .. once charges are filed that evidence is provided to the defense attorneys so everyone has a level playing field - the govt doesn't magically come up with 230+ pages of evidence months after charges are filed.
@kk:
You probably also failed to understand much when an article 6 reference was filed, when a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued, and when he was indicted.
He can be rightly blamed for many of the woes the country faces today because he did not do what he should have and could have done in his 8 long years............but ' treason ' does seem harsh.
i fail to understand that government will one day allow him to flee, so why not now.no government touch the Holy cows