Treason charges ‘vendetta’ against army-backed Mush
31 Dec 2013 5:59 AM IST
The 70-year-old said the ‘whole army’ was upset with the treason allegations, in his first comments to international media since he was put under house arrest in April.
The treason claims are the latest and potentially most serious in a flurry of criminal cases relating to Musharraf’s nine-year rule that he has faced since returning to Pakistan in March.
The case could put the government on course for a clash with the army, threatening further instability at a time when the nuclear-armed country is struggling with a homegrown Taliban insurgency, a chronic energy crisis and a stagnant economy.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 66-year history, has not made any direct public comment on the case. But it is thought to be reluctant to have its former chief suffer the indignity of trial by a civilian court.
‘I would say the whole army is upset. I have led the army from the front,’ Musharraf told reporters at his farmhouse on the edge of Islamabad.
‘I have no doubt with the feedback that I received that the whole army is... totally with me on this issue.’
The treason charges relate to Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule in November 2007, and if found guilty he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
‘Vendetta’
An initial hearing in the case, being heard by a special tribunal, was halted on 24 December after explosives were found along the route Musharraf was to take to court. The case is due to resume on Wednesday, but Musharraf said he had not yet decided whether he would attend.
‘The way this tribunal was formed, which involved the prime minister and the ex-chief justice, this itself smacks a little bit of a vendetta,’ he said.
He said he had no objection to defending himself before a ‘fair tribunal or court’ but admitted he was not optimistic about the special panel convened to hear his case. His lawyers have dismissed the charges as an attempt by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999, to settle old scores through the courts.
Will request for pardon if found guilty of treason, says Musharraf
ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has expressed regret that Pakistan’s recently retired army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani did not support him in the face of treason charges.
Musharraf also ruled out making a request for clemency if he is convicted by the special court formed for the high treason trial - the first time a military ruler has faced criminal charges in Pakistan’s history.
The 70-year-old former president expressed regret that Kayani, who was appointed by Musharraf and retired last month, did not support him when he was charged with treason, the Express Tribune reported.
‘I will not request pardon (if convicted)... I will not opt for any solution which creates an impression that I acted out of fear,’ he said in an interview aired by Express News channel on Sunday night.
Musharraf has been charged with treason for imposing emergency in 2007. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment or death penalty. ‘I have no regrets ... I came back to Pakistan to face cases against me and because people wanted change,’ he said, speaking about his return to the country in March after several years in self-exile.
Musharraf also said he had not expected he would be charged with treason.
‘Yes, you can say it was my misjudgment... I did not expect Article 6 would be thrown at me,’ he said, referring to the constitutional provision that covers treason.
The treason claims are the latest and potentially most serious in a flurry of criminal cases relating to Musharraf’s nine-year rule that he has faced since returning to Pakistan in March.
The case could put the government on course for a clash with the army, threatening further instability at a time when the nuclear-armed country is struggling with a homegrown Taliban insurgency, a chronic energy crisis and a stagnant economy.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 66-year history, has not made any direct public comment on the case. But it is thought to be reluctant to have its former chief suffer the indignity of trial by a civilian court.
‘I would say the whole army is upset. I have led the army from the front,’ Musharraf told reporters at his farmhouse on the edge of Islamabad.
‘I have no doubt with the feedback that I received that the whole army is... totally with me on this issue.’
The treason charges relate to Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule in November 2007, and if found guilty he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
‘Vendetta’
An initial hearing in the case, being heard by a special tribunal, was halted on 24 December after explosives were found along the route Musharraf was to take to court. The case is due to resume on Wednesday, but Musharraf said he had not yet decided whether he would attend.
‘The way this tribunal was formed, which involved the prime minister and the ex-chief justice, this itself smacks a little bit of a vendetta,’ he said.
He said he had no objection to defending himself before a ‘fair tribunal or court’ but admitted he was not optimistic about the special panel convened to hear his case. His lawyers have dismissed the charges as an attempt by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999, to settle old scores through the courts.
Will request for pardon if found guilty of treason, says Musharraf
ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has expressed regret that Pakistan’s recently retired army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani did not support him in the face of treason charges.
Musharraf also ruled out making a request for clemency if he is convicted by the special court formed for the high treason trial - the first time a military ruler has faced criminal charges in Pakistan’s history.
The 70-year-old former president expressed regret that Kayani, who was appointed by Musharraf and retired last month, did not support him when he was charged with treason, the Express Tribune reported.
‘I will not request pardon (if convicted)... I will not opt for any solution which creates an impression that I acted out of fear,’ he said in an interview aired by Express News channel on Sunday night.
Musharraf has been charged with treason for imposing emergency in 2007. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment or death penalty. ‘I have no regrets ... I came back to Pakistan to face cases against me and because people wanted change,’ he said, speaking about his return to the country in March after several years in self-exile.
Musharraf also said he had not expected he would be charged with treason.
‘Yes, you can say it was my misjudgment... I did not expect Article 6 would be thrown at me,’ he said, referring to the constitutional provision that covers treason.
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