In a setback to embattled former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf, a special court on Thursday dismissed his petition seeking treason trial under the Army Act and summoned him to appear before it on 11 March.
The defence had objected to the formation of the three-member special court saying that being the former army chief, 70-year-old Musharraf can only be tried by a military court. The special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, had reserved its verdict on 18 February.
The court dismissed Musharraf’s petition saying it has the mandate to try him and adjourned the matter till 4 March. It also summoned Musharraf to appear before it on 11 March.
Musharraf faces treason charges for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency and detaining judges of the superior courts. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
‘He had signed the order (imposition of emergency) as the Army chief and not as President. The judges should have recused themselves as they are biased against Musharraf. They were dismissed by Musharraf and held agitations against him,’ one of Musharraf’s lawyers Ahmed Raza Kasuri told reporters.
He alleged that facts and laws were ‘twisted’. Earlier, Rana Ijaz Ahmed, another lawyer of Musharraf, accused the judges of acting like ‘rented killers’ when the judgment was read out.
The defence had objected to the formation of the three-member special court saying that being the former army chief, 70-year-old Musharraf can only be tried by a military court. The special court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, had reserved its verdict on 18 February.
The court dismissed Musharraf’s petition saying it has the mandate to try him and adjourned the matter till 4 March. It also summoned Musharraf to appear before it on 11 March.
Musharraf faces treason charges for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency and detaining judges of the superior courts. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
‘He had signed the order (imposition of emergency) as the Army chief and not as President. The judges should have recused themselves as they are biased against Musharraf. They were dismissed by Musharraf and held agitations against him,’ one of Musharraf’s lawyers Ahmed Raza Kasuri told reporters.
He alleged that facts and laws were ‘twisted’. Earlier, Rana Ijaz Ahmed, another lawyer of Musharraf, accused the judges of acting like ‘rented killers’ when the judgment was read out.