Musharraf’s travel abroad: CJ forms larger bench to hear govt’s appeal

The apex court will take up the matter on June 23.

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani constituted a five-member larger bench on Wednesday to hear the federal government’s appeal against Sindh High Court’s June 12 verdict of lifting former president Pervez Musharraf’s travel ban.

The bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk will take up the matter on June 23. The bench will also comprise Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

Earlier, the three-judge bench, headed by Justice Saqib Nasir, while hearing the previous plea on June 16, referred the matter to the chief justice and suggested the apex court hear the plea within a week.

Expressing its fears in its June 16 plea the government had said Musharraf is likely to leave the country after SHC’s judgement. “The trial under Article 6 of the Constitution is taking place for the first time in Pakistan’s history and should not be allowed to be frustrated or undermined. In view of the importance of the case, it is respectfully requested that this matter may be fixed at the earliest date,” it had submitted.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Shahid Khan as complainant to high treason case has recorded his statement before the Special Court. But, the interior secretary could not produce the original letter submitted by the government to initiate the proceedings.

The interior secretary stated that the original letter might have been submitted in the Supreme Court last year.  He submitted a certified copy of the letter by the prime minister house. The defence team, however, objected to it.

The interior secretary told the bench that the federal government had constituted a FIA team to collect evidences regarding the promulgation of November 3, 2007 emergency and PCO on June 27, 2013 and the team had submitted its report on November 16, 2013.

He stated that after examining the FIA’s investigation report, legal opinion was sought upon the matter.

The three-judge Special Court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab also rejected Musharraf’s request to adjourn the hearing till after the month of Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2014.