Self-inflicted wounds: Govt in a fix over dragging in Musharraf abettors
Aggrieved parties are themselves challenging special court’s verdict to try partners in imposing the emergency
ISLAMABAD:
The federal government has decided to seek more time from the special court hearing the high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency and putting the Constitution in abeyance in November 2007.
Due to indecisiveness about prosecuting abettors of Musharraf, the government is likely to ask for another date when the court takes up hearing next week, a senior official told The Express Tribune.
“As the three judge-bench of the special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab is set to resume hearing of high treason case against Musharraf on December 9, the government is still indecisive about its future course of action in the case,” a senior official.
The prosecution team has been instructed to request the court to give two more weeks to comply with the special court’s November 21 verdict asking the federation to include the names of former PM Shaukat Aziz, ex-minister Zahid Hamid and former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the charge-sheet.
The official stated that the prosecution team headed by Akram Sheikh has also suggested the government to challenge the special court’s order.
Moreover, he said that the prosecution team was reluctant to pursue other abettors in this matter.
He also said that the government is weighing four options in this case.
One is to file reference under Article 186 of the Constitution to seek the top court’s opinion regarding the inclusion of Musharraf’s abettors. Second is to file a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court against the special court’s order. Thirdly, the government could file an appeal in the apex court against the November 21 verdict. Lastly, to comply with the court’s order in letter and spirit because aggrieved parties are themselves challenging the court verdict.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2014.
The federal government has decided to seek more time from the special court hearing the high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency and putting the Constitution in abeyance in November 2007.
Due to indecisiveness about prosecuting abettors of Musharraf, the government is likely to ask for another date when the court takes up hearing next week, a senior official told The Express Tribune.
“As the three judge-bench of the special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab is set to resume hearing of high treason case against Musharraf on December 9, the government is still indecisive about its future course of action in the case,” a senior official.
The prosecution team has been instructed to request the court to give two more weeks to comply with the special court’s November 21 verdict asking the federation to include the names of former PM Shaukat Aziz, ex-minister Zahid Hamid and former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the charge-sheet.
The official stated that the prosecution team headed by Akram Sheikh has also suggested the government to challenge the special court’s order.
Moreover, he said that the prosecution team was reluctant to pursue other abettors in this matter.
He also said that the government is weighing four options in this case.
One is to file reference under Article 186 of the Constitution to seek the top court’s opinion regarding the inclusion of Musharraf’s abettors. Second is to file a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court against the special court’s order. Thirdly, the government could file an appeal in the apex court against the November 21 verdict. Lastly, to comply with the court’s order in letter and spirit because aggrieved parties are themselves challenging the court verdict.
Zahid Hamid has engaged Khawaja Haris, Abdul Hameed Dogar is consulting Malik Qayyum and Shaukat Aziz has already hired Wasim Sajjad in this matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2014.