简体中文
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawas Sharif Tuesday approved the selection of three judges for a special court to try former President Pervez Musharraf for high treason for abrogating the country's constitution, the PM office said.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced on Sunday that the government has decided to put Musharraf on trial as he had suspended the constitution when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.
The government had approached the Supreme Court to constitute a special court for Musharraf's trial and the Chief Justice sent five names of the high court judges to the government to choose three among the list.
"Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has approved names of three Judges for the special court for trial of General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan," a statement from the PM office said. Article 6 of the Constitution deals with the high treason charges, which carry death penalty or life imprisonment, according to the legal experts.
The Prime Minister Office said the special court will be headed by the most senior judge, Justice Faisal Arab, of the High Court in southern Sindh province. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar of southwestern Balochistan High Court and Justice Yawar Ali of the Lahore High Court will be members of the court, it said.
The Supreme Court had earlier accepted the government's request to establish a special court for the trial of the former military.
Musharraf had taken over in a bloodless coup when he had dismissed then government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999.
The PM office said, "the criteria for selection of the three judges was strictly based on merit of seniority."
The government, in a letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had requested to establish the special court in Islamabad.
It is the first time in Pakistan's 66-year history that a former military leader will be tried for high treason.
In June Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced high treason trial of Peevez Musharraf in his speech to the National Assembly or lower house of parliament less than three weeks after returning as premier following his PML-N party's victory in the general elections.
Musharraf's actions came under the purview of "high treason," Sharif had told the Parliament.
The 69-year-old former army chief, currently lives in his farmhouse in Islamabad after he got bails in three high profile cases including the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Musharraf, who had resigned in 2008 and had gone into exile, returned to the country in March this year to take part in parliamentary elections. However, a court disqualified him from standing in the May elections.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that Musharraf cannot leave the country as his name is included in the list of those who are barred from going abroad.
Investigators from the Federal Investigation Agency has already questioned Musharraf as to why and on whose behest had had imposed emergency rule in the country.
The government has also submitted a report by the investigators, the Interior Ministry says.
