- CJP orders formation of tribunal within two days to hear pending treason trial against former military ruler
LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to unblock the computerised national identity card (CNIC) and passport of former dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
The PHC had disqualified the former president for life for promulgating emergency in November 2007.
The order was issued after National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Usman Mobin was spotted sitting in on a full-bench hearing for a separate case by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar.
When Justice Nisar asked Mobin why he was in court, the NADRA chairman — who was called to the rostrum by the CJP — said that although the SC had last week allowed Musharraf to submit his nomination papers if he returned to Pakistan for a court hearing on June 13, the former dictator would not be able to since his CNIC and passport had been blocked.
“Why would you block the card? To give him a reason to not return?” the CJP asked Mobin. “Musharraf should return and face the cases against him,” he asserted.
On Mobin’s verbal request seeking formal directives about what must be done about Musharraf’s travel and ID documents, the CJP ordered that his CNIC and passport be unblocked.
Justice Nisar also observed that the former president will not be arrested from the airport to the court.
The apex court also ordered the constitution of a tribunal within two days for Musharraf’s trial.
On June 7, it was reported that NADRA had blocked Musharraf’s CNIC and passport of the former military ruler on court’s orders.
Musharraf’s bank accounts had frozen as a result of his CNIC being blocked, the retired general was also deprived of the right to sell more than 10 properties owned by him in the country.
The SC has summoned Musharraf on June 13 in response to the petition against his lifetime disqualification. The court had assured Musharraf’s counsel that the former president would not be arrested. It had also allowed the returning officers to receive his nomination papers for the upcoming election. However, acceptance of his nomination papers will be subject to the outcome of this case.
Musharraf was charged with high treason in December 2013 and indicted in the case on March 31, 2014. The trial remained suspended after the special court in November 2014 ordered a reinvestigation into the case to identify any abettors in the imposition of emergency in November 2007.
In addition to the treason trial, Musharraf is facing a number of criminal cases.
The former military dictator left for Dubai in 2016 to “seek medical treatment” and has not returned since.
However, media reports stated that Musharraf is most likely to return in the last week of June or in the first week of July to lead All Pakistan Muslim League’s election campaign.