Pakistan sentences former dictator Musharraf to death in absentia

By Asif Shahzad

 

FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's former President, Pervez Musharraf, addresses his supporters upon his arrival from Dubai at Jinnah International airport in Karachi March 24, 2013. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

 

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court sentenced former military dictator Pervez Musharraf to death in absentia on Tuesday on treason charges stemming from his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007.

 

Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and later ruled as president until 2008, is out of the country and did not comment on a ruling widely seen as part of a standoff between the judiciary and military over the rule of law.

 

"Pervez Musharraf has been found guilty of Article 6 (of the constitution) for violation of the constitution of Pakistan," government law officer Salman Nadeem said.

 

The full ruling by a special anti-terrorism court was not immediately available but the three judges reached a majority verdict, with two of them deciding against Musharraf.

 

Musharraf, 76, is the first former army chief to be charged with treason in Pakistan and has said the powerful military helped him get out of the country.

 

In a strongly worded statement, the army said the ruling had caused "pain and anguish" in the ranks and added: "The due legal process seems to have been ignored."

 

An anti-terrorism court has sentenced the country's former military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, to death for high treason. Lucy Fielder reports.

 

It said the case had been concluded in haste and that Musharraf "fought wars for the defence of the country (and) can surely never be a traitor."

 

Musharraf imposed a state of emergency at a time when he faced growing opposition to his rule. All civil liberties, human rights and democratic processes were suspended from November 2007 to February 2008.

 

The final years of his rule were marked by struggles with the judiciary over his wish to remain head of the army while president. He quit in 2008, after a political party that backed him fared poorly in a national election.

 

VIDEO RECORDING FROM HOSPITAL BED

In a video recording issued from a hospital bed in Dubai, Musharraf said last month he was not being given a fair hearing in the case, filed in 2013 by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, whose government was ousted by Musharraf in 1999.

 

"I served the nation and made decisions for the betterment of the country," Musharraf said.

 

A lawyer representing Musharraf said he would challenge the court ruling.

 

Ahsan Iqbal, an aide to Sharif, hailed the ruling as a big day for democracy and hoped it would help end "the tradition of violating the constitution."

 

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, also an aide to Sharif, called it a landmark ruling that would help constrain the military.

 

"We have secured our future generations," he said.

 

The judiciary has been increasingly assertive in its battle with the military to establish the rule of law.

 

Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court struck down a three-year extension of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure, saying were no legal or constitutional grounds to grant the general another term after his retirement on Nov. 29.

 

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Writing by Rupam Jain, Editing by Robert Birsel and Timothy Heritage)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-18

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If there was real justice in the world this would be the fate of all Coup d'état leaders. 

3 hours ago, pegman said:

If there was real justice in the world this would be the fate of all Coup d'état leaders. 

 

and all corrupt politicians who lie about wanting to help the poor and champion democracy whilst thieving and putting themselves above the law.

Take the death penalty over having to live in Pakistan any day.

This is standard in Pakistan. Effectively, the country has been ruled by the Army, either directly or indirectly, for most of its history. Bhutto was hanged to death, Zia died in a mysterious air crash, Bhotto's daughter Benazir was shot. Most ex-PMs are sentenced to death.

They had to quickly conclude the case and give him the death penalty  before he died.

 He was the deadly enemy of the Taliban and the Islamists in addition he declared himself the ally of the USA, in a country where the US flag is regularly burned and trampled by a crowd of bearded men in fury. It may be too much for a country like Pakistan and he is suffering the consequences today with judges who are perhaps even Islamist sympathizers?

And unlike who you know his coup was to save the country from Islamism,nothing to do with the confiscation of democracy ... But that's only my humble opinion ????

Wonder if the army brass here are reading up on this rather "close to home" topic?

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Wonder if the army brass here are reading up on this rather "close to home" topic?

I'm sure they have, Mike, but nothing a bit of merit-making can't rectify. 

But he was a good dictator in the eyes of GwB and the  C/IA. What happened ? With friends like this.... 

13 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

and all corrupt politicians who lie about wanting to help the poor and champion democracy whilst thieving and putting themselves above the law.

Geeeze …...  that would include at least 90% all of politicians in Australia, UK the US & many other countries.

13 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

and all corrupt politicians who lie about wanting to help the poor and champion democracy whilst thieving and putting themselves above the law.

Sounds a bit harsh for Trump but I'd go along with it.

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Geeeze …...  that would include at least 90% all of politicians in Australia, UK the US & many other countries.

Don't just blame western politicians, might as well incorporate the will to power machinations of the entire human race. Wake up chap.

14 hours ago, captpkapoor said:

This is standard in Pakistan. Effectively, the country has been ruled by the Army, either directly or indirectly, for most of its history. Bhutto was hanged to death, Zia died in a mysterious air crash, Bhotto's daughter Benazir was shot. Most ex-PMs are sentenced to death.

Don't  they describe the place  as an army driven by religious ideology and zealots with a country attached?

Look, politicians are elected on promises. When in public office, they promulgate policies. If those policies don't exactly work out (in the absence of malfeasance or corruption, of course), their actions were still just the performance of their public duties.

 

If pols are prosecuted for such by the next grudge-matchholder, why would anybody run for office. (Yeah, yeah, I know it's the money!)

 

I'm certain the generals would love to do this to Yingluck & her big bro'!

... hope MrP and Suthep are closely following and taking notes?