Pakistan’s former military leader Pervez Musharraf passes away
Former chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness, reported Daily Pakistan.
Former chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness, reported Daily Pakistan.
Pak news portal The Namal had earlier reported that Musharraf had been put on a ventilator as his health had deteriorated.
On Thursday, Musharraf had moved the apex court, seeking to overturn the Islamabad-based special court's December 17, 2019, verdict, which sentenced him to death in the high treason case.
He ruled: “We direct the law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad, and be hanged for three days.”
The Pakistan army has great institutional pride, and over the years, by remaining in the driver's seat, it has nurtured contempt for the civilian government. The Army's response to the new and unexpected challenge from the judiciary should be observed with interest. Weak and effete political parties, perhaps, will not be able to take advantage of the situation, and assert themselves vis-à-vis the army.
On December 17, Musharraf was sentenced to death by a Pakistan court.
The verdict marked the first time in Pakistan's history that a military chief was declared guilty of high treason and handed a death sentence.
While on the face of it, this might appear to be the IMF’s jargon, a distressing signal has been emitted to Pakistan.
Another important petition presently being heard by the Supreme Court concerns powers granted to the army enabling them to detain suspects indefinitely without a trial while declaring them immune from enforced disappearances.
Musharraf said that he respected Pakistan's judiciary and that, similar to Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, he also believed that everyone was equal before the law.
