Majority of Pakistani politicians supported the recent move by parliament to try former president and military dictator Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 for treason and sabotaging the constitution.
Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed termed the recent move by parliament as well as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in accordance with the will of the people.
“It is not confrontation among institutions but an attempt to strengthen the institutions, as misusing any authority of power by an individual or institution would earn disgrace for the institutions. So the recent move by parliament establishes rule and supremacy of law,” he added.
“Treason case against Musharraf is the victory of the state as well as Pakistani nation who opposed the moves by Musharraf,” Rasheed said.
To a question, he said Musharraf suspended the constitution and the move was not given any indemnity by parliament, so he should be brought to the court of justice for his rebellion against the constitution.
“It is the duty of the state to punish the former military dictator for his crimes against the nation, the state and the democracy,” he concluded.
Supreme Court Bar Association former president Aitzaz Ahsan supported the move by the PM, saying the former president violated the constitution twice and treason case should be pursued against him.
Welcoming Nawaz Sharif’s decision for registering treason case against Musharraf, Aitzaz said lovers of democracy and those upholding the law would second the decision.
He said Musharraf violated the constitution on October 12 1999, and November 3 2007, and kept 60 judges in confinement illegally, so treason case should be registered against him.
However, he said action should also be taken against all those who were sitting in Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet and had sided with Musharraf.
The senior PPP leader said Nawaz would have to think about the fate of the ministers who were sitting in his cabinet, who at the time endorsed the steps of Musharraf instead of resigning.
To a question, he noted that he had always stood against dictators and he was the only person who had countered four dictators.
Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to focus on public issues in line with his mandate.
He said Nawaz should not deviate from his main job to solve the problems being faced by the people.
Pakistan Muslim League-Zia leader Ejazul Haq supported legal proceedings against dictators, but he questioned whether imposition of civil martial law was also part of the constitution.
However, he demanded the trial of civil martial law administrators of the past, saying their crime was also equal to Musharraf’s.
Following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent statement, the opposition in the Lower House extended its support to the government for its decision to try former president Pervez Musharraf for treason under Article 6.
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah was of the view that the former military dictator was accountable to the constitution.
“Those who think of the constitution as a piece of paper should be rejected,” he added.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf maintained that his party always upheld the constitution, and would therefore support the law and constitution for the continuity of democracy in Pakistan.
Siddiqul Farooq, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, insisted that cases against Musharraf should be pursued and he should be questioned on the grounds he imposed the Provisional Constitution Ordinance (PCO) and sabotaged the constitution.
Farid Ahmed Paracha, leader of the Jamat-e-Islami, said even the return of former dictator back to the country was like challenging a whole system and nation.
“He should be punished for his crimes against the nation and the country,” Paracha added.
However, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a legal aide to the former military dictator, said not only Pervez Musharraf should be tried, but if government had to try him, they would have to try around 500 of his other accomplices as well.
He said it would open a Pandora’s Box and would grip everyone, as it the entire assembly that legalised Musharraf’s move in form of the passage of the 17th Amendment.
“Under Article 6, clause 2, those who assisted the former president are also responsible for the crime,” Kasuri added.
lot of case against zardari even murder case all are finished even nawaz sharif
nothing is happen mr haqqani was involved country consepiracy with the help of zardari what happen nothing but one guy everybody inviolving this is totally wrong chaudhry brothers are also involve if he will be in other language u guys welcome but he is urdu speaking due to this pakistani govt doing against mushraf ..even benazir has lot of cases but they welcome why cause language was diffrent dont do discrimation ……………..
Comments are closed.