SC to Hear Treason Case Against Musharraf Today
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan will take up treason petition against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf today (Monday).
The Supreme Court is to hear a petition brought by Taufiq Asif, president of the Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association, seeking to try Musharraf for treason for imposing emergency rule in 2007, a move that ultimately paved the way for his downfall.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary has distanced himself from the 3-member bench hearing identical petitions seeking prosecution of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf under the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973.
Now, a two-member bench of the apex court led by Justice Jawad S Khwaja will hear the case.
The retired general returned to Pakistan from four years of self-imposed exile last month vowing to run for parliament in the May 11 general election.
On Friday, another petition was filed in the Supreme Court by former president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), Rawalpindi Bench, Ahsan-ud-Din Sheikh, praying for directing the Federation to prosecute former President Pervez Musharraf under sections 2 and 3 of the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973.
Earlier, President LHCBA, Rawalpindi Bench, Taufiq Asif, and Maulvi Iqbal Haider filed the petitions under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
