Musharraf treason case adjourned until tomorrow

Published January 29, 2014
The three-member special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, resumed the hearing of the treason case against the former military strongman.
 — File photo
The three-member special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, resumed the hearing of the treason case against the former military strongman. — File photo

RAWALPINDI: The special court, hearing the treason case against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, on Wednesday issued notice to the former president's lawyers over the prosecuting team's request to summon the chief of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), for cross-examination and adjourned the hearing of the case until tomorrow, DawnNews reported.

The three-member special court bench, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, resumed the hearing of the treason case against the former military strongman.

During the hearing, lawyer for Musharraf Barrister Anwar Mansoor told the court that the Supreme Court hearing over the review petition against the apex court's landmark July 31, 2009, verdict denouncing the successive military takeovers of the last four decades, their endorsement by the superior judiciary after declaring Musharraf’s second coup of Nov 3, 2007, unconstitutional by proclaiming emergency and cancelling appointment of over 100 superior court judges, was underway.

He added that it was imperative for the former president's legal team to appear in the Supreme Court for the hearing today and prayed to the court to adjourn its hearing until the Supreme Court issued its verdict over the review petition.

Justice Faisal Arab remarked that the court proceedings could not be halted until the apex court issued a stay order over the matter and further said that the defence team would also have to submit a request for the exemption of Musharraf's appearance in the special court.

He added that adjournment and exemption from hearing were two separate matters.

Advocate Anwar Mansoor said that the medical report of the former president had been issued and the request for the exemption of Musharraf's appearance in court had already been submitted.

Mansoor added that he would respond to the prosecuting teams objections over the report tomorrow.

Head of the prosecuting team, Barrister Akram Sheikh, told the court that the objections over Musharraf's medical report had been submitted in writing and that a copy of the objections had also been given to the defence team.

The court then issued a notice to defence counsel over the prosecuting team's request to summon Maj Gen Syed Imran Majeed, Commandant of the AFIC, for cross-examination.

The notice was received by Anwar Mansoor, counsel for Gen (r) Musharraf after which the court adjourned the hearing over the case until tomorrow.

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