A special court on Friday rejected a request by the former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to leave Pakistan for medical treatment and instead issued arrest warrants in the treason case against him, according to lawyers in the case.
Mr. Musharraf was also directed to appear before the court on Thursday to be formally charged. Previous attempts to bring him to court for indictment have failed, including on Jan. 2 when he complained of heart trouble on the way to a hearing and was taken to a military hospital in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, the capital, where he has remained since.
The three-member court, led by Justice Faisal Arab, is trying Mr. Musharraf on charges that he subverted the Constitution in late 2007 when he imposed emergency rule and fired much of the judiciary. Mr. Musharraf, 70, denies the charges, calling the case a “political vendetta.”
Anwar Mansoor Khan, one of Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers, told the court that Mr. Musharraf needed an immediate heart scan, or angiography, but wanted the procedure to be performed abroad, preferably in the United States.
Critics and prosecutors, however, maintain that Mr. Musharraf is using his request to seek treatment abroad as an excuse to avoid standing trial here and go back into exile.
On Friday, the judges ruled that there was no justification for Mr. Musharraf not to appear before the court. The arrest warrants the court issued are bailable, and Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said they would deposit bond of about $20,000 in the next few days to keep him out of jail.
A spokesman for Mr. Musharraf criticized the ruling.
“The special treason court has not only shown inhumanity and insensitivity toward General Musharraf, but also has demonstrated unprecedented disregard of the medical profession, principles of basic fundamental rights and preservation of life,” the spokesman, Raza Bokhari, said in a statement.
There was speculation that Mr. Musharraf might be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment as part of a deal brokered between leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the Pakistani military, to ward off any potential clash between the military and civilian government.
The military has officially kept silent about the trial, and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which initiated the treason charges, has insisted that it has no control over judicial proceedings.
Hassan Wasim Afzal, a former senior civil servant who is now a political analyst, said the case against Mr. Musharraf had become contentious because of the composition of the court, which Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers have said is made up of judges who are already biased against the former ruler.
The treason trial is the most serious challenge Mr. Musharraf has faced since returning to the country from self-imposed exile last March. His ambition of reviving his political fortunes foundered after his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, received a lukewarm response in last year’s general elections and he found himself ensnared in court cases.
Mr. Musharraf was also directed to appear before the court on Thursday to be formally charged. Previous attempts to bring him to court for indictment have failed, including on Jan. 2 when he complained of heart trouble on the way to a hearing and was taken to a military hospital in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, the capital, where he has remained since.
The three-member court, led by Justice Faisal Arab, is trying Mr. Musharraf on charges that he subverted the Constitution in late 2007 when he imposed emergency rule and fired much of the judiciary. Mr. Musharraf, 70, denies the charges, calling the case a “political vendetta.”
Anwar Mansoor Khan, one of Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers, told the court that Mr. Musharraf needed an immediate heart scan, or angiography, but wanted the procedure to be performed abroad, preferably in the United States.
Critics and prosecutors, however, maintain that Mr. Musharraf is using his request to seek treatment abroad as an excuse to avoid standing trial here and go back into exile.
On Friday, the judges ruled that there was no justification for Mr. Musharraf not to appear before the court. The arrest warrants the court issued are bailable, and Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said they would deposit bond of about $20,000 in the next few days to keep him out of jail.
A spokesman for Mr. Musharraf criticized the ruling.
“The special treason court has not only shown inhumanity and insensitivity toward General Musharraf, but also has demonstrated unprecedented disregard of the medical profession, principles of basic fundamental rights and preservation of life,” the spokesman, Raza Bokhari, said in a statement.
There was speculation that Mr. Musharraf might be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment as part of a deal brokered between leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the Pakistani military, to ward off any potential clash between the military and civilian government.
The military has officially kept silent about the trial, and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which initiated the treason charges, has insisted that it has no control over judicial proceedings.
Hassan Wasim Afzal, a former senior civil servant who is now a political analyst, said the case against Mr. Musharraf had become contentious because of the composition of the court, which Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers have said is made up of judges who are already biased against the former ruler.
The treason trial is the most serious challenge Mr. Musharraf has faced since returning to the country from self-imposed exile last March. His ambition of reviving his political fortunes foundered after his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, received a lukewarm response in last year’s general elections and he found himself ensnared in court cases.
Source: Hindi News
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