APML to file appeal against court's verdict

The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) of Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday announced that an appeal will be filed against the Special Court's decision to hand former military ruler a death sentence in the high treason case against him.

Speaking at a presser, APML's General Secretary Mehrene Malik Adam along with Gen Musharraf's counsel Salman Safdar said the party was appalled at the verdict, as it was done in haste without giving opportunity to the former president.

"The case against the former president was framed on flimsy grounds and we'll challenge as no one can be convicted in absentia," she added.

The counsel for Musharraf said the aiders and abettors were excluded from the case and its hearing and the former president was singled out in the high treason case, though the decision was taken after consultation with the cabinet members, chief ministers, governors, and corps commanders.

He said Musharraf, as a law-abiding citizen, had appeared before courts when he was in the country and lamented that the court had announced a verdict despite his request not to announce the decision in his absence.

He said he had serious reservations against the one-sided decision of the Special Court especially when Musharraf was under treatment due to some serious ailment.

He said the court did not even consider an application of recording the statement of his client through a commission in Dubai, besides constituting a team of doctors to assess his health condition.

"We will challenge the verdict in the court as it was not a fair trail. How come you convict a person in absentia? We were also kept in dark about announcement of the verdict," he declared.

He said the case was filed on the orders of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after a hiatus of seven years without even consulting the cabinet on board, which was a big question mark on the fair trial of the case.

"Why the case was not filed against Musharraf for complete seven years if he had committed any treason? Why the abettors and aiders were not included in it," he questioned.

"Justice hurried is justice buried and justice rushed is justice crushed and this has happened in this particular case, as none of our requests were entertained by the court," he added.

He said, "Ailment of Musharraf is no privy to us all as he is undergoing chemotherapy in Dubai, but the court ignored all these important issues and announced the verdict in haste."

The counsel for Musharraf also said the Special Court also did not record the statements of their witnesses, saying it was not necessary, which showed the bias of the court towards the former president.

"Once the detailed judgement is announced, we will chalk out our next line of action, as this is the only case where a former president has been sentenced to death which has tarnished the image of the country both nationally and internationally," he added.

To a question, he said the court can neither convict a person in absentia not an appeal can be filed, adding, "We will look into the matter as what could be done next."