Govt may move court against Musharraf verdict: Babar Awan

ISLAMABAD: Former law minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan on Monday said that an appeal could be filed in the Supreme Court by the former president Pervez Musharraf in his absence against the high treason case verdict.

A special court on December 17, had sentenced the former military ruler to death for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007.

Addressing a press conference, Awan referred to a judgment, SCMR 1999, page 1,619 of Supreme Court given by the then Chief Justice Irshad Hussain, which clarified that an appeal can be filed in absence of the accused.

“The government would adopt legal and constitutional procedure in Musharraf’s case and may approach the court against the verdict in the high treason case,” Awan said.

He added that some elements were relating the clash of institutions with paragraph 66 of the verdict. “No such clash will occur in the presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he emphasised.

Awan added that some elements were talking about in-house change had already failed themselves out-house. “There was no base or possibility in the matter and not even the circumstances were favouring such rumours,” the PTI leader said.

Read also: Musharraf verdict is 'judicial adventurism', says Azam Swati

Criticising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership, Awan said those who were blaming PTI for not letting them out of the country for treatment had suddenly become well as soon as they flew out of the country.

“The PTI government never politicised Nawaz Sharif’s illness. The decision of not allowing Maryam Nawaz to travel abroad was the supremacy of law,” he said.

“Some elements from the first day have been trying to destabilise the PTI government,” Awan said “The PTI government has never made internal issues as ego matters and there were no personal vendettas."

Federal govt will appeal decision: Shahzad Akbar

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had earlier said the government had "serious concerns" over the verdict.

"The government has serious concerns. We think that others should also be included in this case," Akbar had said. "Based on these issues and deliberations, the government has decided to appeal the verdict."

Akbar said that the government had reservations about how the trial was conducted. He said that a fair trial of the former military dictator should have been held. 

Read also: Govt to file reference against judge over Musharraf treason verdict

Govt to file reference against Justice Waqar Seth 

Law Minister Farogh Naseem had said the government had decided to take legal action against Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth over his controversial observation in the detailed judgment of the high treason case. 

Naseem had the federal government had decided to file a reference at the Supreme Judicial Council against Justice Seth for his observation in paragraph 66 of the verdict. 

"He has written that we direct all law enforcement agencies to arrest Musharraf and punish him according to the law. He has further written that if he is found dead, his corpse be dragged to D-Chowk and hanged for three days," said Naseem.

"I do not understand what need the judge had to give such an observation," he said, referring to paragraph 66 of the verdict. The law minister added that Justice Seth was 'unfit'.

"By giving such an observation, Justice Seth has proven that he is mentally unfit," the federal law minister said. "I would like to request the Supreme Court to stop the judge from working."