More names could be added in Musharraf treason trial: Pak court

Islamabad: The special court conducting former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s treason trial has hinted that more names can be added to the list of those responsible for issuing the 2007 order to impose emergency. Amidst protest and agitation from Musharraf’s legal team, including leading counsel Sharifuddin Pirzada, the public prosecutor in the case Akram Sheikh concluded his arguments and rejected all objections related to the constitution of the special court. [caption id=“attachment_1353773” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Pakistan Pervez Musharraf.[/caption] Pirzada lost his cool during yesterday’s proceedings and raised his voice while addressing Sheikh on several occasions. The defence team argued that Musharraf has been singled out. In response to a query of the bench, Sheikh said that Musharraf’s lawyers’ concern that only he has been singled out is genuine, because there are papers signed by the accused which show that he was the person who imposed emergency on November 3, 2007. He said that to address this concern, Musharraf, 70, should appear before the court and reveal the names of accomplices so the prosecution can add them to the list. To this, Justice Faisal Arab, the leading judge of the bench, said, “We know that the special court can add more names during the trial of the case,” Express Tribune reported. Sheikh told the bench that Musharraf was put on trial because evidence was available so far against him only. He said the interior ministry, while discharging its function on behalf of the federal government, has filed a complaint in light of the investigation against Musharraf and the evidence is also annexed along with the complaint. The prosecution will cross-examine the accused during the trial and if any other official or person is involved in the case then he also can be put on trial, Sheikh said. Last week, the court set up a medical board to assess the former army chief’s health condition and exempted him from appearance in proceedings till January 23 after his lawyer said he should be sent to the US for treatment. The board, comprising of senior doctors from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi, has been charged with ascertaining the medical condition of Musharraf and present its findings before the court on January 24, the date of the next hearing. The former army chief is yet to appear in person before the three-judge court, having missed all the hearings because of security concerns and a health scare. Musharraf was admitted to AFIC after he developed heart problems while being driven to the court on January 2. He is also facing serious criminal charges over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, the death of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti and the detention of judges in 2007. This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a former military ruler has been put on trial for treason. If convicted, Musharraf could be given life imprisonment or death penalty. PTI