Musharraf treason case: LHC CJ to head reconstituted court

ISLAMABAD: The Special Court hearing high treason case against former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was re-constituted on Saturday with the inclusion of Justice Nazar Akbar from the Sindh High Court (SHC).

The complaint, filed by the federation, sought initiation of high treason proceedings against Musharraf for imposing the emergency rule on November 3, 2007. The Special Court was abolished on March 29 after Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Yahya Afridi refused to head the bench, as Musharraf's counsel had objected to his inclusion saying that he was former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's lawyer. The bench deliberated on the matter in the chamber after which Justice Afridi recused himself.

However, in his order Justice Afridi observed that the counsel's objections were factually incorrect, as he was never a counsel for the former chief justice Chaudhry's, but a co-petitioner in the case against Musharraf's Nov 3, 2007 martial law. The Special Court will now be headed by Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice (LHC) Yawar Ali, it has been learnt.

The sources disclosed that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nasir had approved the names of new special court bench members and the Law Ministry will issue a notification in this regard. Other members of the bench include Justice Tahira Safdar of Balochistan High Court and Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Yawar Ali.

Musharraf had filed an application, contending that the Special Court presiding officer Justice Yahya Afridi may recuse himself from conducting the trial and the order dated March 8, 2018 may be recalled.