A special court in Pakistan on Monday reserved till May 8 its ruling on Pervez Musharraf’s plea seeking a copy of probe report which is the basis of the high treason trial against the former military ruler.
The three-judge court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court and comprising Justice Tahira Safdar and Justice Yawar Ali, heard the case pertaining to high treason charges against the 70-year-old former President.
Musharraf’s counsel Farogh Nasim withdrew two petitions relating to some amendments in the statute pertaining to the framing of charges against the dictator. He submitted that Special Court Act-1976 has expired and his petitions in this regard may kindly be returned.
Prosecutor Akram Sheikh objected, saying the defence counsel on the one hand was taking back the petitions and on the other continuing his arguments.
Nasim requested the court not to proceed further in the case till its ruling on the handing over of a copy of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) probe report on the outcome of the investigation process is announced.
He said he would finalise his future strategy in the light of the court’s decision, the report said. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till May 8 while reserving its judgement related to the handing over of the FIA report.
On March 31, Musharraf was formally charged for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency in 2007. Since Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March last year, he has faced prosecution in four major cases, including for his alleged involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
The former president, who is the first military ruler in Pakistan’s history to be tried in court, has rejected all the charges leveled against him.———-IANS