Pak army slams Judiciary, condemns death penalty served to Fmr President Parvez Musharraf

A court in Pakistan on Tuesday sentenced former president Pervez Musharraf to death for high treason, giving its judgment on charges relating to the imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007. Musharraf's sentencing is a highly significant moment in Pakistan where the powerful military has ruled the country for nearly half of its 72-year history. As a result, the Pakistan army has condemned the death penalty served on Musharraf by the Judiciary and has supported him.

'The due legal process seems to have been ignored'

In an official statement by the Pakistani Army, it has said, "An ex-Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor."

Slamming the court which gave the judgement, the Army said, "The due legal process seems to have been ignored including constitution of special court, denial of the fundamental right of self-defence, undertaking individual-specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste." 

With this death sentence, Pervez Musharraf will be the first former army chief in Pakistan's history to be awarded a death penalty. A Special court in Pakistan had ordered the 76-year-old former President of Pakistan to record his statement by December 5.  The statement was made by a three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth, who was conducting a hearing of the case against the former president on Thursday, Geo News reported.

First military ruler convicted for subverting the Constitution

Musharraf has maintained that the treason case filed against him is 'baseless' and that his lawyer was left unheard in the Pakistani Court. Pervez Musharraf, who has been in Dubai for the past three years citing serious health concerns, recorded a video message from  Dubai's American Hospital. In the video message, he had said that he was "very unwell" and has had health issues for a while now. 

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The former Pakistani President said, "My lawyer Salman Safdar is not being heard by the court. I have fought wars for Pakistan and served my country for 10 years."  His legal team can apply to the Pakistani Supreme Court. He was booked in the treason case in December 2013, under the Nawaz Sharif government in Pakistan. Musharraf seized power by ousting then-Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999 bloodless coup. He has also served as Pakistan's president from 2001 to 2008.

The ex-military dictator was charged with Article 6 of the Pakistani Consitution.  Article 6 of the Constitution says: “Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason."

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(With PTI inputs)