ISLAMABAD: Politicians from across the board voiced criticism of the split verdict announced by a special court in the high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf on Thursday.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that judges who had delivered the verdict had questionable knowledge and credibility.
“After the restoration of Iftikhar Chaudhry, some people with questionable knowledge and credibility became judges,” he added.
He said that people, who were attempting to play with fire, didn’t know that they could get burnt.
“They neither have the capability to select words nor issue statements,” he said. He said that it was not surprising that people did not learn lessons from history.
The federal minister’s remarks came a few hours after a three-member bench of the special court headed by Peshawar Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth and comprising Justice Karim and Justice Nazarullah Akbar in its verdict announced the death penalty for the former president.
Of the three judges, Justice Seth and Justice Karim gave the death sentence while Justice Akbar wrote a dissenting note saying that the prosecution team could not prove treason case.
Speaking on the issue, Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Chairman Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the special court’s verdict has hurt the sentiments of every solder standing on the border.
“Besides Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, we should also be concerned about sentiments and feelings of the soldier who is countering every trick of the enemy army on every border, including Siachen, in the defence of the motherland and offering sacrifice of his life. We should also be caring about that soldier when he is performing his duties in far flung areas and he comes to know that his commander-in-chief is being termed as traitor, then what will he feel. Army chief of any country does not become easily,”
He also said that judges who had been administered oath by the former president were now lashing out against him.
“Today those people are raising hue and cry of treason against him who had taken oath from him. People should be watchful of misled people and safeguard their defenders from such false people,” he said.
Pakistan People’s Party leader and legal expert Aitizaz Ahsan also termed the verdict inappropriate saying, “A live person can be hanged but not a dead body under the law of the land.”
Commenting on the words used in the verdict, the veteran lawyer said the Supreme Court should take suo moto notice of the special court’s verdict. The remarks by the judges could provide basis for an appeal (against the decision), he added.
“An inquiry should be initiated against the judge who has written this order.
“The legal capability of the judge should also be taken into account who has written this judgment,” Aitzaz further said.
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad also criticised the verdict and called it, “illegal and immoral.”
Sheikh Rasheed who had served as federal minister in the government led by former president Musharraf said that state institutions were also raising questions over the judgement.
