Lahore: In a major relief for Pakistan's self-exiled former military dictator, a top court here on Monday quashed Pervez Musharraf's death sentence and termed as "unconstitutional" the formation of a special tribunal that tried him for high treason.
The special court of Islamabad on December 17 last handed down the death penalty to 74-year-old Musharraf after six years of hearing the high-profile treason case against him. The case was filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in 2013.
A three-member full bench of the Lahore High Court comprising Justices Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Mohammad Ameer Bhatti and Chaudhry Masood Jahangir unanimously declared the formation of the special court against Musharraf as "unconstitutional".
The court also ruled that the treason case against Musharraf was not prepared in accordance with the law.
After Monday's ruling, the special court's verdict stands void, Dawn reported, quoting both the government and Musharraf's lawyers as
saying.
The decision came in response to a petition filed by Musharraf challenging the formation of the special court for the high treason case against him.
In his petition, Musharraf had asked the court to set aside the special court's verdict for being illegal, without jurisdiction and unconstitutional, while also seeking suspension of the verdict till a decision on his petition was
made.