ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Tuesday submitted a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking completion of the high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf and announcement of special court’s verdict on time.
The plea said that the SC had already given clear instructions to the trial court to conclude the case as early as possible; however, the federal government was creating hurdles in the smooth proceedings of the case.
The petition further requested the apex court to issue directives for implementation on its April 2019 judgement. The special court is violating SC’s order by not completing the trial against Pervez Musharraf, it asserted.
The development came after a full bench of LHC heard petitions filed by Musharraf and federal government against reserving verdict of high treason case.
During the hearing, Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi said we are receiving information about filing of another petition in federal capital over which, Musharraf’s lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim told that interior minister had submitted the plea in Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The court had summoned the Attorney General for assistance in the case and directed the authorities to submit a summary regarding the formation of the trial court.
Earlier, the trial court had reserved the verdict of high treason case against the former dictator set to be announced on November 28. The court had also remarked that Musharraf’s lawyers can submit their written arguments regarding the case till November 26.
It is to be mentioned here that ex-president is facing treason trial under Article 6 of the Constitution as well as Section 2 of the High Treason Act for clamping the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007.
He was booked in the treason case in December 2013 and was indicted by a special court in March 2014, but he left for Dubai in 2016 to “seek medical treatment” and has not returned since.
