Saturday, May 04, 2013

Islamabad: The trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a case relating to detaining judges will be held at his farmhouse sub-jail in Islamabad, the head of the administration in the capital announced through a notification on Saturday.

The notification, issued by Islamabad Chief Commissioner Jawad Paul, cited life threats to Musharraf as the reason for the decision. The farmhouse in the capital’s suburbs was declared a sub-jail by the authorities last month.

An anti-terrorism court is dealing with the case involving charges that over 60 judges of superior courts, including Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were detained on Musharraf’s orders after he clamped down emergency on November 3, 2007 in violation of the constitution.

Musharraf is also accused in two other cases — murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006.

At the country’s Supreme Court, a three-judge bench is currently hearing petitions seeking Musharraf’s trial for treason over his 2007 emergency proclamation.

Mobilising support

The 69-year-old former military president returned to Pakistan on March 24 to take part in the May 11 general elections and mobilise electoral support for his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).

But election officials rejected his candidature from four national assembly constituencies and a high court later barred him for life from contesting elections.

While he is embroiled in legal battles, the APML first vowed to participate in the May nationwide vote but has now pulled out protesting the ban on Musharraf imposed by the Peshawar High Court, which it said was a “violation of human rights”.

The poll boycott by the party was announced by its secretary general Dr Mohammd Amjad, who said the party and its leadership were victims of “discriminatory treatment”.

A case has been registered against Amjad over alleged violence against lawyers by APML supporters during Musharraf’s appearance in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.

Musharraf had launched APML from London in 2010 during his four-year self-exile, but the party has been bogged down even before making an impact on the national political scene.

By Mohsin Ali?Correspondent

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