Musharraf not given fair trial, decision announced in haste: lawyer

DUBAI: General (r) Pervez Musharraf's lawyer Salman Safdar said on Tuesday that the former army chief was not given a fair trial and the decision to hand him the death penalty was announced in haste.

"This [ruling] is worse than the decision to hang Zulfikar Ali Bhutto," said Safdar during a press conference. "There are various mistakes in the procedure."

He said that legal requirements were missing in the case and that an equal opportunity was not given to Musharraf. Safdar said that it was unfortunate how a 77-year-old former president was tried for treason and not even heard.

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"Instead of the cabinet, only the prime minister gave the approval for the case against Musharraf," he said. "Why weren't Shaukat Aziz and Justice (r) Abdul Hameed Dogar included as suspects in the case?"

An APML spokesperson said that the party will appeal against the verdict of the special court.

"We were shocked by the decision that was announced by the special court today," she said.

Safdar said that the former army chief's legal team will have a detailed look at the verdict announced by the special court.

"It remains a question how he can surrender given his medical condition," said Safdar. "We will have a look at the verdict and then make a decision about this.

High treason case

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

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

On March 18, 2016, the former president had 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 continuous inability to appear.

Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on the orders of the apex court.

The head of the prosecution appointed by the PML-N, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, had last year tendered his resignation. In his resignation letter, sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh had expressed his inability to proceed with the case considering the change of government at the centre.