Pakistan has decided to put former President Pervez Musharraf on trial for treason for declaring a state of emergency in 2007.
The decision was announced by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during a live television broadcast on Sunday.
“Following the judgment of the Supreme Court and a report submitted by an inquiry committee, it has been decided to start proceedings against General Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution,” he said.
“It is happening for the first time in the history of Pakistan and the decision has been taken in the national interest.”

The minister added that the government on Monday would request a tribunal of three high court judges from the country's chief justice to begin the proceedings.

A special prosecutor will also be appointed by Islamabad.

If found guilty of treason, Musharraf could face death penalty or life imprisonment.

The 70-year-old is accused of imposing emergency rule in 2007 shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier while he was still chief army.

Afshan Adil, a member of Musharraf's legal team and representative of his All Pakistan Muslim League said, “The government has brought up this case now to divert the attention from its failure to protect people.”

Musharraf is already facing three other criminal cases that go back to his rule from 1999 to 2008, including one related to the killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack in December 2007, as she was leaving an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi. Musharraf has been accused of failing to provide enough security for Bhutto after she returned from exile on October 18 the same year.

The former Pakistani army general, who seized power in a bloodless coup in October 1999, stepped down as president of the country in August 2008, about six months after his allies lost parliamentary elections in February 2008 and the new government threatened to impeach him. A year later, he left the country.

In March 2013, Musharraf returned to Pakistan after nearly four years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai to run in the May 11 parliamentary elections. However, he was barred from the elections over charges dating back to his time in power.

By Press TV

 

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