M A I N   N E W S

Pak court indicts Pervez for treason
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

The Special Court on Monday indicted former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) for high treason. He was indicted on five counts, including subversion of the 1973 Constitution and sacking and detaining of over five dozen judges of superior courts in November 2007.

The General pleaded not guilty to all five charges and recounted his services to the country and the army in a brief address to the court. He also sought permission to travel abroad to see his ailing mother currently admitted in the ICU of a Shajah hospital and also for treatment in the United States. The special court dismissed both petitions.

The Bench responding to the petitions filed on behalf of Musharraf’s new counsel Marghub Nasim ruled that Musharraf was a free citizen who is currently lodged in Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) for treatment of his own free will.

Earlier, Chief prosecutor Akram Sheikh opposed the plea for allowing Musharraf to go out of country saying his name was put on exit control list under orders of the Supreme Court, which alone could reverse it. It was a historic occasion with a former chief of Pakistan’s powerful army being indicted on charge of treason under Article 6, which carries death sentence if proved guilty.

For most part of country’s existence, the army has ruled either directly or indirectly called the shots in national affairs which included Musharraf’s nine years. Musharraf on Monday appeared before the three-member special court led by Justice Faisal Arab, which was instituted in December for Musharraf’s trial. During this period, he avoided personal appearance in all but one of the 36 sessions until the court issued his non-bailable arrest warrants if he failed to appear on March 31.

The General has been confined to AFIC, close to GHQ in Rawalpindi, since January after he complained of chest discomfort. Doctors in the hospital prescribed angiography, but Musharraf refused to allow that saying he wanted to go abroad for that.

Extraordinary security measures had been put in place along the 22-km route from the AFIC to the court premises located in Red Zone area of the capital.

The indictment sets the ball rolling for Musharraf’s normal trial on treason charge. In his address, Musharraf complained that he was being dubbed as traitor after serving the army for 44 years and later leading it between 1998 and 2007. He said he only promoted national interests and brought progress and prosperity to the nation.

Pleads not guilty

• He is the first military ruler in Pakistan to be tried in court
• He has rejected all the charges levelled against him
• Musharraf also said that he gave 44 years of his life to Pakistan Army and made defence invincible
• He gave repute and progress to the country measures had been put in place along the 22-km route from the AFIC to the court premises located in Red Zone area of the capital.

The charges

• Treason under Article 6 for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution
• Imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007
• Detaining judges of the superior courts.
• Musharraf faces the death penalty if convicted of charges