Home Latest News Pervez Musharraf Sentenced to Death in High Treason Case

Pervez Musharraf Sentenced to Death in High Treason Case

by Staff Report

Farooq Naeem—AFP

Special court chastises government for trying to modify charge sheet and include new suspects at last minute

A special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth on Tuesday sentenced former Army chief Pervez Musharraf to death under Article 6 of the Constitution in a high treason case related to his declaration of a state of emergency in 2007.

The sentence was announced in absentia as the former president has been in Dubai since 2016, when he was allowed to leave Pakistan to seek medical treatment. He was declared an absconder the same year over his failure to appear in court despite multiple summons.

Article 6 of the Constitution says: “Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.” According to the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973, the punishment for high treason is death or life imprisonment.

The special court, comprising Seth, Sindh High Court Justice Nazar Akbar and Lahore High Court Justice Shahid Karim, had announced it would deliver its verdict today despite multiple attempts by the federal government to prevent it. Ignoring this, the government’s prosecutor submitted three petitions to court during hearings today, claiming it wanted to include the names of three individuals—former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former Supreme Court justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former law minister Zahid Hamid—as co-accused over their ‘facilitation’ of Musharraf’s actions.

The court dismissed this, saying the government appeared to be delaying the verdict by adding new indictments on the day the case was set for final arguments. Justice Akbar noted that two additional weeks had been granted to the government to present a modified charge sheet, but it had waited until the last minute. “If you want to add a new suspect, submit a new case,” said Justice Karim. “If these three individuals are suspects, the government should also submit requests to make the former cabinet and corps commanders suspects,” he said, adding that no new request for amending the indictment had been received by the court.

Musharred was booked for treason in December 2013 after the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) came into power. He was subsequently indicted on March 31, 2014. The trial lingered due to litigation at appellate courts, with Musharraf being allowed to leave Pakistan in March 2016 due to ailing health. In October, with the case nearing its conclusion, the government sacked the entire prosecution team in a move widely seen as a delaying tactic in Musharraf’s favor.

The special court was due to issue its verdict last month, but the Islamabad High Court on Nov. 27—just a day before the verdict was due—suspended it after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government sought its deferral, claiming it had been poorly prosecuted.

During this time, Musharraf had sought to halt the treason proceedings against him at the Lahore High Court, claiming they were unconstitutional, as he had not been allowed to submit his version of events. The special court, however, has maintained that as an absconder Musharraf has waived his right to reply.

This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a military chief has been declared guilty of high treason and handed death sentence. The verdict was split 2-1, reported daily Dawn.

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11 comments

Alister Dsouza December 18, 2019 - 12:22 am

This is absolutely absurd. General Musharraf was a better man and a leader putting Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and all other politicians combined. He was a soldier and a leader beyond par. This is just an all-out conspiracy against him. May he be blessed with health and a long life so that he can serve the nation of Pakistan once again. He was an intelligent man who was being commanded by an idiot.

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Friona December 18, 2019 - 3:02 am

Pakistani government is a totally damn , didn’t have a mind , abhi nundun is a big terrorist, pulbhooshun yadav is more than this , if pakistani government wants to give punishment give them , but not him, but Pakistani government just totally worst government in the world they love India that’s why they never do this.

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Waleed Khan December 18, 2019 - 10:45 am

ho jaye to bhot acha hon ga

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Sardar faizan sani December 18, 2019 - 2:10 pm

He is a hero, he was he is and will. Fuck the govt, fuck the court and fuck the rumers.

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Amara December 18, 2019 - 5:35 pm

Very bad he was our hero he is our hero n h,ll b our hero how can our government can do this with him actually v all Pakistanis r coward ????

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Ali December 18, 2019 - 5:40 pm

Rules and regulation is greater than personalities, a person all career with faith and locality but one mistake made him guilty, anybody reply his unlawful act and then continue more than 10 years, Can anybody explain what is shame and how express?

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Romesa khaliq December 19, 2019 - 6:40 am

Whatever he did it doesn’t matter. Only one thing matters that ppl were happy or not and they were… god bleeding him.. justice for musharraf

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Sayed December 20, 2019 - 3:03 am

Ex COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf is the real hero of Pakistan

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Malik Mushtaq Hussain Awan December 20, 2019 - 12:29 pm

I,think it is a verst decision I have ever read. Personal involvment of an honorable judge is absolutely clear in this order. Basically it has not been investigated that under what cirumstances an emergency was imposed. Either there was valid reasons or not. The base of imposing emergency was that the Courts are not properl functioning. Tis proved right when all concerned accepted the issue of Military Courts in the Country. Then WHAT LEFT BEHIND. Further in 2007 there was no law regarding putting the onstitution under held in obeyance. This case is result of an enemity of Ex- President Pervez Musaraf vrs Retd Justice Iftikhar Choudry and Ex PM Nawaz Shareif .

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Mukhtar hussain December 20, 2019 - 5:50 pm

Respected and Honorable Govt ,PAKISTANIS ARMIES and other institutes, Subject: Solution of current situation about Ex – President Pervez Musharraf Punishment
Firstly,To apply for the request of the amending of special court decision particularly a few lines of paragraph no 66 that have been become a burning issue among the public , media and army to eliminate from the paragraph no 66. Secondly,under the supervision of the most respected chief justice of supreme court,chief justices of high courts of 4 provinces and minimum six other senior judges should be participate to solve this burning issue .So that no one can lift a finger against judiciary and Pakistani army that are the most respectable institutes. because all the other departments have been changed with the change of political party which governs for their personal benefits .ministers statements change when they are in govt.they play a contradictory roles in their life to make innocent people fool for their pursuits .

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shahjee December 25, 2019 - 8:35 pm

I think let the appellate court to decided the case the present case is not unprecedented in the words history How many usurper has sentenced to death but no body hue and cry It goes without saying that here in Pakistan all the peoples demand high treason case even the present ruler Imran Khan was first man who demand his trail under article 6 and called him usurper but our memories is too weak to have in mind He head a political party have no concerned with the Army as Gen Ghaffor on so many time in press talk/briefing clearly told that ex Chief of Army Staff is now political person and he shall not be attached to the army nowadays but when he was sentenced he made statement showing resistance in the army why this country seem judicial Murder of ex PM Bhutto under the pressure of Amy Ruler which Naseem Hassan Shah admitted that under pressure judiciary has awarded Major penalty by 4-3 of the bench Army stand with Judiciary Nawaz over thrown by the court army claiming stand with the court when ex General awarded sentenced the Army come emotional really Mushraf is not provoking army But extension to present Army Chief decision put the army in trouble as layman we too study the history why Lt General werer sentenced to life imprisonment while Brigidar and Doctor awarded Death sentenced by the army itself on the reason of leakages the sensitive points to the enemy Judge applied is mind subject to the documents and two-one awarded the death penalty Para 66 mentioned which is main contention of opposing the judgement if it found against the Law the Appellate court shall struck down the same let the court to decided very one should not become a judge and lawyer to comments

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