Counsels for Shaukat Aziz, ex-CJP Dogar and Zahid Hamid say Musharraf’s application based on mere assumptions, no evidence on record to show abetment in imposition of emergency on Nov 3, 2007
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ‘restrained’ a special court from hearing a treason case against former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, after its November 21 order was challenged by the co-accused.
The decision was announced by Justice Attar Minallah in response to petitions filed by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former law minister Zahid Hamid who had challenged the November 21 order to include their names in treason trial as abettors.
On November 21, the special court had accepted Musharraf’s plea and had ordered for the inclusion of the names of the co-accused in the list of abettors.
The petitioner’s counsels, in their respective application, maintained that under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the accused has no right to ask for a joint trial with a co-accused, as it is only the right of the prosecution to decide who to prosecute.
They further stated that the application filed by Musharraf was based on assumptions, as there was no concrete evidence on record that concluded any other person had collaborated, aided or abetted Musharraf in imposing the state of emergency in 2007.
After hearing arguments from all parties, Justice Minallah restrained the special court from hearing the treason case and adjourned the matter till February 3 after which the hearing of the case will take place on a daily basis.
Earlier, the government had suggested that Justice Minallah constitute a larger bench to hear petitions against the order of the special court in regard to implicating abettors in the treason case.
Additional Attorney General Afnan Karim Kundi suggested that a larger bench of the IHC hear the case instead of a single-member bench, since the special court comprises three high court judges.
According to the proclamation issued for the November 3 emergency, Musharraf imposed the emergency after consulting the then prime minister, the governors of all four provinces and the chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee, the chiefs of the armed forces, the vice-chief of army staff and the corps commanders of the Pakistan Army.