High treason case: Akram Sheikh seeks permission to withdraw from prosecution

ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Akram Sheikh, head of the prosecution team in high treason case against former military dictator General (R) Pervez Musharraf on Monday sought permission from special court for withdrawal from the prosecution.

He filed an application with Special Court hearing the complaint, filed by the former PML-N government, seeking initiation of high treason proceedings against the former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency rule on November 3, 2007.

Muhammad Akram Sheikh submitted that he had been appearing before the court with utmost dedication and mindful of the implications that it is not only a case of first impression but also entails risk to one’s personal security, professional practice, risk and threat of security to the family.

He contended that since the first hearing of the case on Dec 24, 2013, he has been appearing diligently in the matter and cannot reconcile the letter of special law and its sporadic application in this case.

“He was disillusioned to see that post elections and a new federal government has come into existence and the new Minister of Law & Justice is the former learned senior counsel of the accused and another former learned senior counsel of the accused has been appointed as Attorney General for Pakistan,” Sheikh submitted. He submitted that since the case involves a fundamental civil-military relationship, the new federal government must have an opportunity to decide how they would like to handle this case. He informed that anticipating the change in federal government and before proceeding abroad for a personal visit for which the permission from the August Supreme Court had been obtained, he submitted his resignation to the caretaker government on July 30, 2018, to which he did not receive any response while he was in Pakistan.

He further informed the Special Court that in his absence his office received a letter from federal government dated August 17, 2018 in which he was apprised that resignation has not been accepted/approved so far and decision on resignation is likely to take more time in view of change of government.

Therefore, he said other members of his team rendered appearance before the Special Court on August 20, 2018. He said that he had assisted this court with wholly professional and non-partisan availability to the satisfaction of this Special Court with the able guidance and assistance of his team for which he put on record his sincerest appreciation and gratitude to this Special Court. He requested the Special Court to grant him permission for withdrawal from the prosecution.