Prosecutors refuse to pursue treason case
They claim a joint trial would be impossible in the absence of ex-premier Aziz, who is currently out of the country
ISLAMABAD:
Following the federal government’s reluctance to challenge the judgment issued by the special court last week, the prosecution team in former president Pervez Musharraf’s high treason trial has refused to pursue the case further, The Express Tribune has learnt.
According to sources privy to the development, the prosecutors have told the federal government that they had agreed to pursue the case against Musharraf only and that producing evidence against the former military ruler’s abettors ‘was not part of the deal’.
The special court on Friday had directed the government to include the names of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, ex-federal minister Zahid Hamid and former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the case’s charge-sheet.
A source in the interior ministry and a member of government’s legal team said instead of challenging the special court’s order in the Supreme Court, the federal government is seriously considering filing a reference under article 186 of the Constitution before it. The reference will seek the top court’s opinion regarding the inclusion of Musharraf’s abettors in the high treason case.
The development was confirmed by Ikram Chaudhry, one of the prosecutors in the treason case.
On the other hand, a member of Musharraf’s defence team said the government and the prosecution team’s reaction confirmed the former president was solely being targeted in the case.
At the same time, other lawyers of Musharraf said in the aftermath of the special court order, the treason trial will not reach a conclusion during the PML-N government’s current term. They also claimed that a joint trial would be impossible in the absence of ex-premier Aziz, who is currently out of the country.
“The fate of this trial will be no different from the Agartala conspiracy case against Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman and the Hyderabad conspiracy case against Awami National Party’s Wali Khan,” said Advocate Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a central leader of Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League. “In both cases, tribunals were unable to complete their proceedings and the judges hearing the charges ran away from court.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2014.
Following the federal government’s reluctance to challenge the judgment issued by the special court last week, the prosecution team in former president Pervez Musharraf’s high treason trial has refused to pursue the case further, The Express Tribune has learnt.
According to sources privy to the development, the prosecutors have told the federal government that they had agreed to pursue the case against Musharraf only and that producing evidence against the former military ruler’s abettors ‘was not part of the deal’.
The special court on Friday had directed the government to include the names of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, ex-federal minister Zahid Hamid and former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the case’s charge-sheet.
A source in the interior ministry and a member of government’s legal team said instead of challenging the special court’s order in the Supreme Court, the federal government is seriously considering filing a reference under article 186 of the Constitution before it. The reference will seek the top court’s opinion regarding the inclusion of Musharraf’s abettors in the high treason case.
The development was confirmed by Ikram Chaudhry, one of the prosecutors in the treason case.
On the other hand, a member of Musharraf’s defence team said the government and the prosecution team’s reaction confirmed the former president was solely being targeted in the case.
At the same time, other lawyers of Musharraf said in the aftermath of the special court order, the treason trial will not reach a conclusion during the PML-N government’s current term. They also claimed that a joint trial would be impossible in the absence of ex-premier Aziz, who is currently out of the country.
“The fate of this trial will be no different from the Agartala conspiracy case against Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman and the Hyderabad conspiracy case against Awami National Party’s Wali Khan,” said Advocate Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a central leader of Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League. “In both cases, tribunals were unable to complete their proceedings and the judges hearing the charges ran away from court.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2014.