After Pak Army, Imran Khan's govt defends Pervez Musharraf against hanging sentence

Pakistan government, following  country's military establishment, has decided to oppose Pakistani Court's verdict in awarding former dictator Pervez Musharraf death sentence for treason, by calling it "unfair". Objecting to country's judiciary, Pakistan premier Imran Khan discussed verdict given to retired Pakistani General with his top party aides on Wednesday.  

Former Pakistan President and military ruler Musharraf was sentenced to death in absentia on Tuesday for high treason following a six-year legal case. He has been living in Dubai since 2016 after Pakistan's Court lifted a travel ban allowing him to leave country to seek medical treatment. A three-member special court here convicted 76-year-old Musharraf of violating Constitution by unlawfully declaring emergency rule while he was in power, under Nawaz Sharif regime, in a case that h been pending since 2013.

A core-committee emergency meeting of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was chaired by Imran Khan, on his return from Geneva. Pakistani Prime Minister was briefed by two lawyers about sentence given to former dictator. Musharraf seized power by ousting n-Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999 bloodless coup. He has also served as Pakistan's president from 2001 to 2008. Special Assistant to PM on Information and Brocasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, told media that Barrister Ali Zafar and vocate Babar Awan briefed party leers about special court's decision against Musharraf.

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"It has been decided that legal team of party will brief Cabinet before taking a formal stance over matter after taking an in-depth view of court's judgment," she said. Following Musharraf's sentencing, Pakistan Army said that its former chief can "never be a traitor" and verdict against him has been received with "a lot of pain and anguish" by Armed Forces personnel. " due legal process seems to have been igred including constitution of a special court, denial of fundamental right of self-defense, undertaking individual-specific proceedings and concluding case in haste," 

Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a statement. "Armed Forces of Pakistan expect that justice will be dispensed in line with Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Ghafoor stressed, piling pressure on government. Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa also weighed in and said armed forces have brought stability by failing all inimical forces operating against country. Gen Bajwa me a symbolic visit to hequarters of military's Special Services Group (SSG) where he praised ir contributions towards defence of country since creation of Pakistan. Musharraf has w become first military chief to receive capital punishment in Pakistan's history.

Alarmed by public stance of Pakistan Army-led by Gen Bajwa, Imran Khan was quick to deploy two of his trusted aides to assu Pakistan Army to say that government would defend self-exiled, former President during hearing of an appeal.  "I will defend law in case but t any individual," said Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan in a late-night press conference along with Awan.

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It was argued that former dictator was t given right of fair trial and judgment was anunced in absentia without recording statement of accused. Musharraf argued that case was politically motivated and that he saw "personal vendetta." He furr asserted that actions taken back in 2007 were agreed by government and Cabinet.  “Such a verdict is unprecedented. Neir defendant has been heard r his lawyer has been given a chance to speak,” said ailing Musharraf in a video recorded from a hospital bed in Dubai.

Imran Khan, defending Musharraf, raised doubts on "urgency in prouncing judgment when Musharraf was in critical condition in ICU" in Dubai. "re is question that a person who h committed treason must be punished but in this case, right of fair trial guaranteed under Constitution was t ensured. A trial should t just be fair but also seen to be fair," he was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. Pakistan and UAE have extrition treaty and Emirati authorities are unlikely to arrest Musharraf.

charges against Musharraf stem from his imposition of a state of emergency in vember 2007, after which dozens of top judges were placed under house arrest or sacked, sparking widespre street protests by lawyers. Musharraf's sentencing was highly significant in Pakistan where powerful military has ruled country for nearly half of its 72-year history. 

Musharraf on Bin Len, LeT

A vital ally on US' "war on terror," former US President George Bush h called dictator a "strong defender of freedom." However, former President of Pakistan, in an interview h mitted that Mujahideens in Kashmir were "trained in Pakistan" to fight Indian Army. He called terrorists in Pakistan as "heroes"--including Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Len, his successor Ayman al-Zawahiri, Jalaluddin Haqqan. 

"Kashmiris who came to Pakistan received a hero reception here. We used to train m and support m. We considered m as Mujahideen who will fight with Indian Army. n, various terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba rose in this period. y (jihi terrorists) were our heroes," dictator h said in an interview. 

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"We trained Taliban, sent m in. y were our heroes. Haqqani was our hero. Osama bin Len was our hero. Ayman al-Zawahiri was our hero. n global environment changed. world started viewing things differently. Our heroes were turned into villains," he ded. 

(with PTI inputs)