Pervez Musharraf attack case: Supreme Court upholds verdict of death penalty to 12 convicts

The Supreme Court Thursday rejected review petitions filed by 12 people, including five defence personnel, convicted for involvement in two attacks on former President Pervez Musharraf in 2003 and upheld its earlier decision endorsing their conviction.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry heard the review appeals of the convicts, including seven civilians, one army and four air force personnel. Following their conviction, they were awarded death penalty and other punishment for their role in the attacks.
The bench, however, asked the defence ministry to provide by April 6 the records of Amir Sohail and Rana Navid, two civilians who were convicted by a military appellate court and awarded life imprisonment. Disagreeing with the contention of Muhammad Akram, the counsel for the petitioners, the bench told him that it was not hearing his appeals but conducting a review.
Two attempts were made on the life of former military president Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi on December 14 and December 25, 2003. On September 26, 2006, a bench of the apex court had rejected appeals filed by the 12 convicts and upheld a high court decision on their conviction. In their appeals, the 12 people had contended that the cases against them were registered with mala fide intentions and they were sentenced to death even though the prosecution had not produced any evidence against them.