Musharraf wasn’t given a fair trial: attorney general
The attorney general of Pakistan, the chief law officer of the federal government, said on Tuesday that former military dictator Pervez Musharraf was not given a “fair trial” by the special court.
“President Musharraf was not given an opportunity under Section 342 to record his statement,” Anwar Mansoor Khan told reporters at a press conference he addressed alongside PM’s aide on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan.
The government’s chief law officer said that Article 10A of the constitution stated that every individual would be given a fair trial. “We often hear that trial must not only be fair but should also be seen to be fair,” he added.
On Tuesday morning, a special court sentenced Musharraf to death in a treason case under Article 6 of the constitution. The law states that any person who abrogates or suspends the constitution “by use of force or show of force” is guilty of high treason.
Musharraf was indicted in the case in March 2014 for suspending the Constitution in 2007.
Mansoor said the special court was requested to record Musharraf’s statement, but his lawyers were told to summon the former military dictator to Pakistan to record his statement. He said the court didn’t let Musharraf record his statement through video links.
“As of today, President Musharraf is bed-ridden… he is in the ICU in hospital,” the attorney general said.
He said the government changed its prosecutors during the trial because it wanted to rectify mistakes of the previous prosecution team. But the court didn’t give the new team the time to study the case, he added.
Mansoor said he tried to obtain a copy of the special court’s decision but he was told that it would be provided after 48 hours.
Awan requested politicians and media figures not to mock the armed forces of Pakistan on the basis of the verdict against Musharraf.
“Our institutions are our power and we should not be a part of any conspiracy to weaken our institutions,” she added.
