Imran Kham comes to aid ex-Prez Musharraf, files plea to suspend high treason verdict

Pakistan's Ministry of Interior on Monday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking suspension of the special court’s decision to reserve its verdict of high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf. The petition by the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government says Musharraf was denied due process of law. The trial proceedings in the high treason case concluded on November 19 against Musharraf for declaring a state emergency on November 3, 2007. The verdict is scheduled to be announced on Thursday on the basis of the available record.

On Saturday, Pervez Musharraf approached the Lahore High Court against the verdict announcement. Musharraf's counsel Khwaja Ahmed Tariq Rahim approached the high court on his client's behalf, contending that the reserving of the verdict on November 19 was 'unconstitutional and void.'

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Musharraf living in Dubai

The treason case against Musharraf was filed in 2013 by the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government for alleged clampdown of the state through the imposition of an extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007. But the former President managed to leave Pakistan in 2016 after the Supreme Court ordered the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL). Since then, Musharraf, who took shelter in Dubai citing medical treatment, has refused to return to Pakistan.

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Terrorism charges on him

The former military dictator is also facing terrorism charges and recently, an Islamabad High Court division bench had dismissed his plea to transfer the case from the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) to the sessions court. In 2011, a first information report (FIR) was registered against him under section 344 of Pakistan penal code in connection with the criminal detention of judges of superior court after declaring an emergency. Gen. Musharraf, who seized power in 1999 by toppling the government of Nawaz Sharif, had to step down in 2008 due to his infamous decisions. Musharraf may face a death sentence if he gets convicted in the case.

(With ANI inputs)

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