Musharraf treason case: IHC halts special court from announcing verdict

• The interior ministry had filed a plea to halt verdict in the case.
• Musharraf has been an absconder in the case since 2016.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) halted on Wednesday a special court from announcing its verdict in the treason case against former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

The hearing was taken up by a three-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. Additional Attorney General (AAG) Sajid Ilyas Bhatti represented the government in court, while Musharraf was represented by lawyer Salman Safdar.

During the hearing today, Justice Minallah asked Bhatti whether there is an official notification about the formation of the special court. The government's representative responded in the affirmative, local media reported.

The IHC accepted the ministry's petition and barred the special court from announcing its verdict tomorrow. The special court has been ordered to announce its verdict after hearing all the parties.

The special court concluded the trial proceedings on November 19 and ruled that a verdict would be announced on November 28 (tomorrow). Musharraf and the interior ministry both moved the high court requesting it to set aside the special court's decision to announce its verdict in the treason case.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government filed an application on Monday seeking deferment of the announcement of the verdict in the treason case. The petition stated that the special court's decision to reserve its verdict in the case is in violation of the constitution.

The  IHC bench is hearing the case of imposition of extra-constitutional emergency by Musharraf in 2007. The treason case has been pending since December 2013. Back in 2014, Musharraf was indicted by the special court when he appeared and rejected all charges against him.

He then left the country in 2016 for medical treatment, after the Supreme Court removed his name from the Exit Control List.