Musharraf challenges order of commission recording his statement in treason case

ISLAMABAD: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Monday challenged an order of a special court for his statement in the high treason case being recorded through a commission.

A special court on October 15 had ordered that Musharraf’s statement in the high treason case against him would be recorded through a commission. 

The former president challenged the order of the special court in the Islamabad High Court. In his petition, Musharraf stated that the formation of a commission by the special court to record the statement was alien to Pakistan’s criminal procedure and unprecedented.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president's imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

The former army chief was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.

On March 18, 2016, the former president left Pakistan for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the Exit Control List on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A few months later, the special court had declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his no-show. Later, on orders of the Supreme Court, Musharraf's passport and identity card were also cancelled since he failed to return to the country despite a last chance.