Over Rs57m spent on Musharraf’s high treason trial

Amount spent on establishment of a high treason court, payment of fee and other expenses.

ISLAMABAD: Besides political and security costs, as much as Rs57.2 million has been spent so far on former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s high treason trial, according to the budget document for fiscal year 2014-15.

The expenses incurred on three judges of the special court during the last five months were not, however, incorporated in the document.

The amount stated was sought by the Interior Division and the Law, Justice and Human Rights Division for the establishment of a high treason court, payment of fee and other expenses.

Appropriations, the expenditure for high treason trial, payment of fee, contingency and other expenses have cost the national exchequer Rs49,555,000 (Rs49.5 million). This amount was spent by the interior division.

The budget document further mentions the cost of preparing the court for high treason, which amounted to Rs7,668,000 (Rs7.7 million). This money was spent on the establishment of a special court, constituted under the High Treason Punishment Act, 1973, and on the renovation and repair of the National Library Building, after seeking a supplementary grant from the Law, Justice and Human Rights Division.

Security agencies make arrangements costing Rs100,000 per day for each hearing of Musharraf’s case regardless of whether he appears in court or not, according to police sources.  Sources added that if these expenses were accounted for in the document, the cost of the trial will exceed Rs100 million.

They further said that 300 regular police personnel, including commandos and women police, alongside 100 Rangers officials were deployed at Musharraf's residence and as part of his protocol.

Legal bill

The legal bill incurred by the government in pursuit of trying Musharraf for treason is over Rs20 million.

According to a reply submitted in the National Assembly by the Interior Ministry, the legal team is split into two teams – a ‘prosecution team’ and a ‘constitutional team’. There are a total of 14 people on the government’s payroll and many of them are paid twice the amount for being on both teams.

Interestingly, lead prosecutor Akram Shaikh, the lowest paid out of the 14, was paid a total of Rs999. Nasirudin Khan Nayyer, the highest paid and the ‘in charge of prosecution,’ who was billed at Rs10 million. The total bill was Rs20,500,999.

Unprecedented trial

The process for the first treason trial of its kind in Pakistan took a giant leap when a three-judge special court was formed to prosecute Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The development came hours after former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry forwarded the names of five judges he received from the chief justices of the high courts.

Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court is heading the special court, which includes Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court and Justice Yawar Ali of the Lahore High Court as its members.