Treason trial against Musharraf to be heard on daily basis from October 24

Published October 8, 2019
Former dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf. — AP/File
Former dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf. — AP/File

A special court in Islamabad has decided to hear a high treason case against former dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf on a daily basis with effect from October 24.

A three-member bench, led by Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, while hearing the case on Tuesday directed all parties to submit their written arguments before next hearing of the case.

At the start of the hearing, an application was submitted on behalf of Musharraf's counsel Raza Bashir for deferment of the hearing due to his health. According to the plea, Bashir is suffering from dengue and is under treatment at Mayo Hospital in Lahore. The plea was granted.

During the last hearing in September, the same court had ordered that the proceedings in the treason trial would resume on a daily basis from October 8.

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth was tasked with hearing the case by the federal government after retirement of Justice Tahira Safdar — who was earlier heading the court.

The high treason trial of former military dictator for clamping the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007 has been pending since December 2013.

He was booked in the treason case in December 2013. He 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.

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