The Supreme Court on Monday resumed hearing in five petitions seeking framing of charges against former president Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 for abrogating the constitution and imposing an emergency in 2007.
During the hearing, the three-member SC bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khwaja rejected the request of Musharraf’s lawyers for formation of a full court to hear the treason case.
Ibrahim Satti, counsel for Musharraf, submitted his written arguments to the bench. He went on to say that his client and the chief justice were the key players of all events since March 9.
The SC ordered the federation to provide access to Musharraf’s counsels as it was his constitutional right.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said the hearing was not against individuals, adding that the bench had to decide if a treason case could be launched against Musharraf under Article 6 or not.
Musharraf escape case:
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked the interior secretary to submit a report by today (Tuesday) on the action taken against the Islamabad IGP in the Musharraf escape case.
The court also directed the additional interior secretary to explain his position for soliciting legal opinion from the Law Ministry in connection with initiation of action against the Islamabad IGP.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said
Joint Interior Secretary Khushdil Khan told the court that relevant authority had been withdrawn from him.
Deputy Attorney General Tariq Jahangiri told the court that Khushdil was the NECTA DG and an additional charge of joint interior secretary had been assigned to him, but the same had now been withdrawn.
The hearing of the case was adjourned until today.
Sub-jail case:
Separately, the Islamabad High Court dismissed a petition challenging the notification issued by the Islamabad Capital Territory Authority (ICTA) declaring Musharaf’s farmhouse a sub-jail.
IHC judge Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan heard the petition in which IslamabadCapitalTerritory chief commissioner, IGP Bani Amin Khan, Secretariat SHO, Chak Shahzad SHO, and General (r) Pervez Musharraf were named as respondents.
Petitioner Ch Muhammad Aslam Ghuman had challenged the notification of the Islamabad chief commissioner to declare farmhouse of Musharraf a sub-jail.