ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday regretted the perceived reluctance of former army chief and ex-president Pervez Musharraf and former finance minister Ishaq Dar to honour clear directives of the country’s highest court to come and face cases pending against them.

“Both former president Pervez Musharraf and former finance minister Ishaq Dar have gone out of the country and are not ready to honour the directions of the Supreme Court,” deplored Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar while heading a three-judge Supreme Court bench.

Retired Gen Musharraf, who is facing a treason case for clamping state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007, had left for Dubai in March 2016 for medical treatment and has not returned since then.

Regrets reluctance of former president, ex-minister Dar to honour SC orders

The court had taken up a petition of Advocate Feroz Shah Gilani, president of the Lawyers’ Foundation for Justice, seeking the recovery of huge amounts of public money wasted against the backdrop of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in 2007 allegedly by former presidents Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari and former attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum.

The bench, however, postponed further proceedings till Oct 11 after the counsel for Gen Musharraf, Advocate Akhtar Shah, requested the CJP to examine a report about his client’s medical condition in chambers which he was about to receive.

While allowing the counsel to present the medical report of Gen Musharraf for the perusal of the judges in chambers, the apex court reiterated its previous assurance that Pakistan Rangers would provide security to the former president whenever he returned to Pakistan.

The court also assured that the Chak Shahzad farmhouse of the former president would be de-sealed and cleaned for his accommodation whenever he decided to come back.

Earlier when the CJP inquired from the counsel about the expected return of Gen Musharraf, the counsel said he had talked on Sept 27 to his client who assured him that he had great respect for the SC but was reluctant to return due to security concerns and his health condition. He said the former president could not travel without doctors’ advice.

The CJP then reiterated that the highest court of the country had been giving his client the security assurance, which should be taken seriously. He hinted that it would be better for Gen Musharraf to return voluntarily. He said it would not be graceful for him if he was forced to return.

The CJP observed that Gen Musharraf would not be arrested upon his return and that whatever was the outcome of the cases, it would be strictly in line with the law.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2018