High Treason Case: special court hands down death penalty to Gen Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, first time in the history of Pakistan, a three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, handed death sentence to former military dictator Pervez Musharraf in the high treason case registered against him for clamping the state of emergency on November, 3, 2007.

According to Dawn, the high treason trial of the former military dictator has been pending since December 2013. The former army chief is presently in Dubai where he is being treated for medical illness.

Also Read: Musharraf treason case verdict to be announced on Dec 17: Special Court

Earlier, the special court in Islamabad said that it would announce the verdict of the high treason case against the former president General Pervez Musharraf on December 17^th.

It is pertinent to mention that on November 27^th, The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had stopped the special court from giving verdict it had reserved earlier in the high treason case.

According to Dawn, the high court had additionally directed the government to notify a prosecution team by December 5^th.

The special court was informed on October 24^ththat the PTI led government had sacked the entire prosecution team engaged by the previous government of PML-N to prosecute the high treason case against the former president.

Please Read: Musharraf can never be a traitor, says ISPR

On October 24, the special court was informed that the government had sacked the entire prosecution team engaged by the previous PML-N government to prosecute the high treason case against Musharraf.

Earlier, Justice Waqar Seth adjourned the proceedings till December 17th and said they would hear arguments of the prosecution on the next proceeding and announce the verdict.

Also Read: APML to challenge Musharraf’s death sentence

General Musharraf was booked in the treason case in December 2013. Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former military dictator lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016, Dawn reported.

The special court — comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC — announced the verdict it had reserved on November 19.