Musharraf high treason case: Special Court questions change of prosecution team

ISLAMABAD: The Special Court hearing high treason case against former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf on Thursday summoned Secretary Interior to explain under what law it had de-notified the prosecution team in the instant case. A three-member bench of the Special Court headed by Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth and comprising Justice Nazar Akbar and Justice Shahid Karim resumed hearing into the complaint, lodged by former PML-N government seeking initiation of high treason proceedings against the former president for imposing emergency rule on November 3, 2007. Head of the old prosecution team Dr Tariq Hassan along with other members appeared before the court and submitted its final written arguments before the court.

The court asked Dr Tariq Hassan as to whether he had received the government’s notification, de-notifying the prosecution team. Dr Tariq Hassan, however, submitted that they were ignorant in this regard, adding that he had prepared the case last night.

The head of the prosecution team submitted that they have brought the whole case to the finished line and submitted their final written arguments.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Interior the other day had de-notified the prosecution constituted for high treason case as well as research assistant.

“In pursuance of the Section 4A of the Central Law Officers Ordinance 1970 and the Judgment of the Supreme Court in Rasheed Ahmed vs Federation of Pakistan PLD 2017 SC 121, the prosecution team, constitutional team and the research assistant to the prosecution team notified vide Ministry of Interior’s notification No 4/19/2011-fia dated December 9, 2013 and January 27, 2014 are hereby de-notified and their services are disengaged with immediate effect”, says the notification available with The News.

The Prosecution team was comprised of senior 11 lawyers including Dr Tariq Hassan, Nasir-ud-Din Khan Kanwar, Sardar Asmatullah and Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry with Mian Moazzam Habib as Research Assistant.