Pakistan: IHC dismisses Musharraf's petition to drop terrorism charges

The Islamabad High Court rejected a petition of former president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf on October 09 challenging the sections of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in the judge's detention case, which had declared Musharraf a proclaimed offender as he continuously did not appear in the case. An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb resumed the hearing after Akhtar Shah, Musharaff's lawyer filed a petition. The appeal was dismissed as Musharraf has been abroad since March 2016. 

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Musharraf's conviction

Back in 2011, an FIR convicting Musharraf under Section 344 of Pakistan Penal Code was registered against him in connection with the detention of 60 judges of the superior courts for more than five months after the imposition of emergency on November 03, 2007. However, the bench of the IHC had reportedly ordered the police to invoke the anti-terror law against him since detaining the judges is seen as an act of terrorism. As a result, Musharraf was convicted under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act as well. The detained judges or the family members refused to testify before the ATC against the former president. It was also reported that the prosecution did not even mention in the names of the judges detained in the FIR. Musharraf and his counsel Akhtar Shah challenged the terrorism charges as there were a lot of legal loopholes and no evidence was produced in connection with Section 7 of the ATA by the investigators and prosecution. 

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Musharraf to return to politics

Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf is set to return to the politics by reviving his party after remaining inactive for over a year due to his deteriorating health. The 76-year-old has been living in Dubai since March 2016 and is facing the treason case for suspending the Constitution in 2007, a punishable offense for which he was indicted in 2014. Musharraf is the founder of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) and took a backseat from political activities last year because of his deteriorating health. He will reportedly address his supporters in Islamabad via a video link on the occasion of the party's foundation day. The former president is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. APML General Secretary Mehreen Malik on October 4 reportedly claimed that the former president had received medical treatment at a hospital in London for 12 days last month. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto assassination and the Red Mosque cleric killing case as well. 

(Inputs from agencies)

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