Petition filed in LHC for Musharraf’s high treason trial

Lahore, Apr.24 (ANI): Yet another petition seeking registration of a high treason case against former President General Pervez Musharraf has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The petition filed by an advocate Ilamuddin Ghazi requested the court to register a case against Musharraf on 15 different counts.

The petition states that Musharraf had violated his oath as an army officer by acting against the country’s Constitution and leading a coup to topple a democratically elected government.

In his petition, Ghazi also urged the court to prosecute Musharraf for removing judges of the superior judiciary in November 2007 and announcing ‘emergency’ in the country.

Ghazi also accused the former general of ordering the registration of false cases and torturing lawyers, The Daily Times reports.

In his appeal he also blamed Musharraf for planning and executing the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and ordering the killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Ghazi requested the court to direct the federal government to lodge a case against Musharraf under the Article 6 of the Constitution. (ANI)

Musharraf’s trial would result in unmitigated chaos in Pak: Report

Washington, Sep.3 (ANI): While the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Pakistan in under immense pressure to try former President General Pervez Musharraf under high treason charges for his ‘extrajudicial’ actions on November 3,2007, observers believe that the former general’s trial would create further problems in the troubled country.

Pakistan’s failure to act against Musharraf has cast doubts on Islamabad’s prospects for establishing an independent judiciary, however, charging him would cause major instability in the country, a Christian Science Monitor report said.

If the Supreme Court decides to pursue a high treason case against Musharraf, then it could have far reaching effect on Pakistan’s internal politics, it said.

Musharraf’s trial would certainly see demands from different quarters to prosecute several other high profile politicians and other prominent personalities of the country as well.

Many of those who are pushing for Musharraf to stand trial are themselves guilty of either committing unconstitutional acts or abetting them like former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, it added.

The report said that there are plenty of persons who can be tried if the October5, 2007, National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was overturned.

The NRO immunizes all government officials who served between January 1, 1986, and October 12, 1999, when Musharraf led a coup to dethrone Nawaz Sharif and attain power.

The report said that in order to avoid massive trouble in the country, the parliament should declare that the past is the past, and proceed with a firm resolve to punish any subsequent government criminality.

Parliament should send a strong message of neutrality by avoiding the double standard of prosecuting one guilty party but not the others, the report added.

But the real test of Pakistan’s democratic capability will be whether it can set up a system of checks and balances to sustain that principle, it concluded. (ANI)

Musharraf’s trial, NRO should not be interlinked: Gilani

Islamabad, Aug.25 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and the trial of former president General Pervez Musharraf under the Article Six of the Constitution are two separate issues and should not be interlinked.

“These are two separate issues,” Gilani said when asked whether the NRO was preventing the government from initiating a high treason case against Musharraf.

Interacting with media persons at Chaudhry Nisar Ali’s residence, Gilani said Pakistan wanted to maintain good relations with all its neighbours including India, The Daily Times reports.

Gilani said his government wanted ‘forward movement’ in the composite dialogue process with India for the resolution of all outstanding issues, but without compromising Pakistan’s sovereignty, dignity and honour.

Gilani said the PPP led government is in constant touch with the PML-N over all important issues concerning the nation including relations with India.

Referring to his meeting with Dr.Manmohan Singh in Sharm-El-Sheikh on the sidelines of the NAM summit, Gilani said he had contacted PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and taken him into confidence before the meeting.

When asked about the differences between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) over the trial Musharraf, he said both parties have their own manifestos and programmes and were working according to it. (ANI)

‘NRO backed’ Government must bring Musharraf back for trial : JI

Sheikhpura (Pakistan), Aug.20 (ANI): Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan has asked the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) backed Pakistan Government to bring former President General Pervez Musharraf back and proceed a high treason case against him under the article 6 of the Constitution.

Speaking in a function at Sheikhupura, Hasan blamed the Gilani government of protecting Musharraf and said it had helped him to escape from the country.

“The present government helped Musharraf escape the country and now it has to bring him back,” Hasan said.

He said Pakistan could come out of the crisis facing currently if President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif move their assets back into the country.

“Sharif and President Zardari do not have their assets in Pakistan,” he said.

Hasan also criticized the Government for assisting the allied forces in the ‘war on terror’ and said Pakistan should stop toeing the lines of the west.

“JI fully condemns the drone attacks and demands the US marines to leave the region,” The News quoted Hasan, as saying. (ANI)

Pak Sunni parties want treason case against TNSM chief

Lahore,May 6 (ANI): The Pakistan Ahl-e-Sunnah parties have asked the government to file a case of treason against the Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Muhammad.

Declaring Sufi Muhammad a ‘rebel of sharia and the constitution’, the religious parties asked the government to establish its control in Swat as soon as possible.

Issuing a declaration at the conclusion of ‘Stability of Pakistan Convention’ in Rawalpindi, they urged the government not to succumb under extremist’s pressure, the Daily Times reported.

They also condemned the killings of innocent civilians, demolition of shrines and insult of religious clerics in the name of Islam. (ANI)

Pak Supreme court asked to book Musharraf on ECL

Islamabad, Apr. 14 (ANI): The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been asked to place former President General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) by booking him in a treason case for abrogating the Constitution and damaging the judiciary.

In his petition under the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on fundamental rights, Advocate Fazal Ellahi Siddiqui has also requested to overturn the Court’s judgment validating the November 3, 2007 emergency rule.

He also accuses former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and 43 other judges of aiding and abetting the subversion of the Constitution by taking oath under the PCO courts.

It is third such petition that demands annulment of emergency rule following the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Siddiqui’s petition holds Musharraf, Zardari, the army chief, former chief justice Dogar and Justice (retd) Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi as respondents.

“The Americans, like in Musharraf’s time, have also been given a free hand by President Zardari and fundamental rights of the people are being violated daily in tribal areas. A large number of people have suffered tremendous losses because of US drone attacks,” the Dawn quotes Siddiqui’s petition, as saying.

The petition said it had become a common phenomenon that the army intervened after every eight to 10 years, amended the Constitution to suit its needs and eventually to get its acts of omissions and commissions validated by the courts and parliament.

“The military commanders consider that the public will weep and wail for a few days, but after that they have to reconcile to the fait accompli,” the petition said. (ANI)

Sindh High Court issues notice against Musharraf, former associates in treason case

Karachi, Mar.27 (ANI): The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a notice to former President General Pervez Musharraf, his close associate and advisor Sharifuddin, and former attorney general Malik Qayyum Pirzada while hearing a high treason petition.

The division bench comprising of Chief Justice Anwar Jamali and Justice Karim Agha while hearing a constitutional petition filed by Awami Himayat Tehreek Pakistan chief Iqbal Haider ordered the respondents to file in their reply by April 14.

Haider, in his petition has charged Musharraf and his associates assisting in abrogation and rebellion of the accepted constitution of 1973.

“All acts by the former president were illegal and thereafter all amendments were also illegal. Musharraf and all those who supported him should be proceeded against on charges of high treason,” The Daily Times quoted the petition, as stating. (ANI)

Sedition case against Sharif brother’s filed in Sindh High Court

Karachi, Mar.14 (ANI): The former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif and his brother, sacked Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif may have garnered huge public support against the PPP led government and especially against President Asif Ali Zardari, but their voracious verbal attack on Zardari and continuous call to defy the government’s orders has now seen a case filed against them in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on charges of orchestrating a mutiny.

Pakistan Awami Himayat Tehrik leader Maulvi Iqbal Haider has filed a petition against the Sharif brother’s for provoking people to disobey official orders.

“PML-N leaders were provoking people to disobey official orders, which is similar to treason, therefore a treason case should be registered against them,” the petition stated.

The federal secretary interior, Sindh government and Sharif brothers all have been made respondents in the petition, The Nation reports.

“After their disqualification by a bench of Supreme Court, both of them had delivered contemptuous speeches and maligned the judges of the superior judiciary. Both Nawaz and Shahbaz exceeded all limits and defamed the entire judicial set up which amounts to sedition,” Haider said.

Haider also pleaded the SHC to order the federal interior ministry to take immediate action against the leaders. (ANI)