LAHORE: The special bench hearing high treason case against former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf once again dissolved on Wednesday after the retirement of Justice Yawar Ali as the chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Justice Yawar Ali was heading the three-member special bench that also included Justice Mazhar Akbar and Justice Tahira Safdar.
It merits a mention here that on March 30, 2018, the previous bench was dissolved after Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from hearing the case over the objections of Musharraf’s lawyer.
The case pertains to the imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in the country on November 3, 2007. In March 2014, Musharraf was indicted in the case by the special court comprising judges of three different high courts.
The court also declared Musharraf as a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his properties which could not be attached due to the litigation in courts. Musharraf was banned from leaving Pakistan in March 2013 after he returned to the country in order to contest elections. The former ruler was barred from taking part in the polls and instead faced a barrage of legal cases.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) had lifted Musharraf’s travel ban, but the federal government appealed against the verdict. SC upheld the SHC decision and ordered the government to allow Musharraf to travel.
Afterwards, Musharraf left for Dubai in March, 2013 for what his lawyers said was urgent medical treatment.
