- Ministry informs ex-ruler’s lawyer through an official letter
The Ministry of Defence has refused to provide security to former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf upon his ‘planned’ return to Pakistan to appear before a special court in the high treason case, a private TV channel reported on Saturday.
Quoting a letter issued to Musharraf’s lawyer Advocate Akhter Shah, the channel reported that the provision of security under the subject case does not fall under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. The lawyer confirmed the letter, saying that he would raise the issue again with the (special) court.
Advocate Shah expressed distrust on the Ministry of Interior Affairs’ ability to provide foolproof security to Musharraf. To a plea by the lawyer requesting security, the Interior Ministry on March 19 had said that it was willing to provide security to the former dictator.
The defendant’s legal counsel said that the (interior) ministry could not be trusted with providing security to his client as the ministry itself had levelled charges against Musharraf. On March 16, the court had ordered the federal government to put special measures in place to bring the former military ruler back from the United Arab Emirates.
In his arguments, the former ruler’s advocate said that an application was sent to the (interior) ministry for security arrangements. In the petition, it was stated that the former ruler faced ‘security threats.’ The court had ordered that the Interior Ministry should take action for the arrest of the former military ruler through the Interpol.
The special court had also asked the Interior Ministry to take action to revoke the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and green passport of the former military ruler. The bench, formed in 2013, is hearing the case of imposition of extra-constitutional emergency by Musharraf in November 2007.