Musharraf’s exemption : AFIC chief summoned by court

RAWALPINDI-

The special court formed for the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf on treason charges on Wednesday issued a notice to Musharraf’s lawyers to summon the chief of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and adjourned the hearing until 30 January.
The three-member court bench headed by Justic Faisal Arab issued the notice on request of the prosecuting team.
During the hearing, Musharraf’s council Barrister Anwar Mansoor told the court that the Supreme Court hearing over the review petition against the apex court’s landmark July 31, 2009 verdict was underway.
The verdict had declared the former general’s coup of Nov 3, 2007, unconstitutional by proclaiming emergency and cancelling appointment of over 100 superior court judges. The verdict had also denounced the successive military takeovers of the last four decades and their endorsement by the superior judiciary.
Mansoor said it was essential for the former president’s legal team to appear in the Supreme Court for the hearing today and prayed to the court to adjourn its hearing until the Supreme Court issued its verdict over the review petition.
Justice Faisal Arab remarked that the court proceedings could not be halted until the apex court issued a stay order over the matter.
Arab also asserted that the former dictator’s lawyers would also have to submit a request for the exemption of Musharraf’s appearance in the special court.
Mansoor replied that the medical report of the former president had been issued and the request for the exemption of his client’s appearance in court had already been submitted.
Chief Prosecutor Akram Sheikh, told the court that the objections over Musharraf’s medical report had been submitted in writing and that a copy of the objections had also been given to the defence team.
Mansoor added that he would respond to the prosecuting team’s objections over the report tomorrow.
The court then issued a notice to defence counsel over the prosecuting team’s request to summon Maj Gen Syed Imran Majeed, Commandant of the AFIC, for cross-examination of the medical report.
The hearing was adjourned till Thursday.

-NEWS DESK