https://arab.news/gr9ny
- May lose right of defense in treason case if he fails to appear, Pakistani Chief Justice had said in March
- Musharraf has lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai since 2016 and is reportedly in ill health
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s lawyer Suleman Safdar said his client is “likely” to appear before a special court on May 2 in a high-profile treason case.
The case marked the first time a former military officer of Musharraf’s rank appeared in court before a judge in a country where the military has rarely been challenged by either the government or the judiciary.
The retired general who now lives in Dubai has skipped all court hearings in the treason case since 2016.
“He is likely to appear (on May 2), these are the instructions to the lawyer from General Musharraf’s family,” Safdar told Arab News on Sunday.
However he added that the former general’s plans were uncertain due to his ill health.
Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said in March this year Musharraf stood to lose his right of defense in the treason if he did not appear before a special court on May 2.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 military coup and stepped down nine years later amid mass protests, was indicted for high treason in March 2014. In 2016, he was allowed to leave Pakistan for health reasons that his lawyer argued prevented him from standing trial on treason and other charges. Musharraf denies the charges and has since skipped all court hearings in Pakistan.
Musharraf can face the death penalty if convicted of the treason charges over his suspension of the constitution and imposition of emergency rule in 2007, when he was trying to extend his tenure.
During the last hearing Musharraf’s lawyer Salman Safdar avoided giving a personal guarantee that the former general would return but said that he wanted to appear personally and record a statement.