After Delays, Musharraf Appears Before Pakistani
Court
By SALMAN MASOOD FEB. 18, 2014
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pervez Musharraf, the former military ruler of Pakistan, finally made an appearance on Tuesday before a special court that is deciding whether to try him for treason, after he failed to appear at a series of earlier proceedings.
He was scheduled to be indicted at the hearing on Tuesday, but that step was put off until Friday while the court considers whether it has jurisdiction, according to lawyers in the case.
The treason case is highly contentious and has sharply raised tensions between Pakistan’s civilian government and its powerful military, which has ousted civilian leaders, has taken power three times in the country’s 67-year history and has largely remained unaccountable to civilian authority. No other former top military commander has ever been charged with treason here.
A central issue is whether Mr. Musharraf should be tried by the special civilian court or in a military court. The three-judge special court is scheduled to issue its ruling at the hearing on Friday, according to Ahmad Raza Khan Qasuri, one of Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers.
Mr. Musharraf, a retired general and army chief of staff who took power in a 1999 coup d'état and was president from 2001 to 2008, is accused of subverting the Constitution in late 2007 when he imposed emergency rule at a time of growing political turmoil and opposition. Mr. Musharraf, 70, denied the charges and called the case against him, begun in late December, a political vendetta.
By SALMAN MASOOD FEB. 18, 2014
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pervez Musharraf, the former military ruler of Pakistan, finally made an appearance on Tuesday before a special court that is deciding whether to try him for treason, after he failed to appear at a series of earlier proceedings.
He was scheduled to be indicted at the hearing on Tuesday, but that step was put off until Friday while the court considers whether it has jurisdiction, according to lawyers in the case.
The treason case is highly contentious and has sharply raised tensions between Pakistan’s civilian government and its powerful military, which has ousted civilian leaders, has taken power three times in the country’s 67-year history and has largely remained unaccountable to civilian authority. No other former top military commander has ever been charged with treason here.
A central issue is whether Mr. Musharraf should be tried by the special civilian court or in a military court. The three-judge special court is scheduled to issue its ruling at the hearing on Friday, according to Ahmad Raza Khan Qasuri, one of Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers.
Mr. Musharraf, a retired general and army chief of staff who took power in a 1999 coup d'état and was president from 2001 to 2008, is accused of subverting the Constitution in late 2007 when he imposed emergency rule at a time of growing political turmoil and opposition. Mr. Musharraf, 70, denied the charges and called the case against him, begun in late December, a political vendetta.
His fortunes have declined steeply since he returned to Pakistan from self-
imposed exile last year, hoping to revive his political career. He received only a
smattering of support from the public and found himself ensnared in a number
of court cases related to his time in power.
The most serious is the treason case, in which a conviction could lead to the death penalty. He has been reluctant to appear personally before the court, offering legal and medical excuses for his absences, and though the court had threatened him with arrest without bail, it was unclear until Tuesday whether he would attend the hearing.
Hundreds of police officers stood guard along the route as a convoy of vehicles brought Mr. Musharraf to the capital, Islamabad, from the military hospital where he has been staying since early January, ostensibly for treatment of an unspecified heart condition; opponents have accused him of pretending to be ill to stay out of court.
The proceedings on Tuesday were largely symbolic. “Where is the accused?” asked Justice Faisal Arab, though Mr. Musharraf was sitting in the courtroom, wearing traditional Pakistani dress. When another of his lawyers, Anwar Mansoor Khan, urged him to rise, Mr. Musharraf stood up and saluted. A small group of supporters chanted slogans outside the court.
“We believe in the rule of law and respect the courts,” Mr. Qasuri said after the hearing. “This is why General Musharraf appeared before the court despite his medical condition.”
The most serious is the treason case, in which a conviction could lead to the death penalty. He has been reluctant to appear personally before the court, offering legal and medical excuses for his absences, and though the court had threatened him with arrest without bail, it was unclear until Tuesday whether he would attend the hearing.
Hundreds of police officers stood guard along the route as a convoy of vehicles brought Mr. Musharraf to the capital, Islamabad, from the military hospital where he has been staying since early January, ostensibly for treatment of an unspecified heart condition; opponents have accused him of pretending to be ill to stay out of court.
The proceedings on Tuesday were largely symbolic. “Where is the accused?” asked Justice Faisal Arab, though Mr. Musharraf was sitting in the courtroom, wearing traditional Pakistani dress. When another of his lawyers, Anwar Mansoor Khan, urged him to rise, Mr. Musharraf stood up and saluted. A small group of supporters chanted slogans outside the court.
“We believe in the rule of law and respect the courts,” Mr. Qasuri said after the hearing. “This is why General Musharraf appeared before the court despite his medical condition.”
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