Musharraf Treason Case

The Special Court on Monday indicted former president Pervez Musharraf in a high treason case, Express News reported.
Musharraf is accused of treason under Article 6 for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of the superior courts.
The former president appeared before the Special Court today and rejected all the charges levelled against him. “Whatever I did, I did for the country and its people. I am sad that I am being called a traitor,” stated Musharraf, claiming that he made Pakistan a respectable country during his tenure.
“I honour this court and prosecution, I strongly believe in law I don’t have ego problems, and I have appeared in court 16 times in this year in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” AFP reported the former president as saying.
AFP further quoted Musharraf, “I am being called a traitor, I have been chief of army staff for nine years and I have served this army for 45 years. I have fought two wars and it is ‘treason’?”
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, heard the treason case today. There have been 35 hearings for the case so far of which Musharraf has only attended one.
Hearing
Earlier during the hearing, Musharraf’s newly-appointed lawyer Dr Farogh Nasim requested the Special Court to not indict Musharraf today and allow him to travel abroad to visit his ailing mother.
Dr Nasim is Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senator and has represented the party in many legal battles.
The MQM Senator told the court that former president’s mother was seriously ill and Musharraf needed to be there with her. The decision regarding this issue will be announced in the evening today.
On March 29, it was reported that Musharraf’s mother, who has been in ill health for some time now, was shifted from Dubai to Sharjah’s W Wilson hospital after her condition suddenly worsened.
Earlier, Musharraf had requested permission to visit his mother, Zahra Musharraf, in Dubai despite having to be in court on March 31, 2014 for a hearing – but this request had been dismissed.
Security
Security measures at the Special Court were beefed up in anticipation of Musharraf’s appearance in court today, in compliance with an order issued on March 14, demanding his presence – enforced or voluntary – in the dock.
Islamabad police had covered their bases; a four-member committee was formed to escort the former president from the AFIC – where he has been admitted since January 2 – to court. Security passes were issued to a select few only and a police team was formed to arrest the retired general and bring him to court in the event that he refuses to appear voluntarily.
‘Shifted to ICU’
The 70-year-old retired general is currently hospitalised at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi. He was rushed to the AFIC and admitted there over a month ago, after he complained of chest pain en route to the court.
According to media reports, Musharraf was shifted to the AFIC’s Intensive Care Unit yesterday after his blood pressure spiked. A member of Musharraf’s team, Advocate Rana Ejaz, who was removed from the special court for his ‘contemptuous conduct’, was quoted as saying that Musharraf was shifted to the ICU.
Earlier the court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the retired general if he failed to appear in court on March 31.