Notice to Pak govt on Musharraf's plea to halt treason trial

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a notice to the Pakistan government on former President Pervez Musharraf's application urging the former to stay the high treason case proceedings pending before a special court in Islamabad.

Musharraf in his application has asked the LHC to declare the proceedings pending before the special court and all actions against him, from initiation of the high treason complaint to the appointment of the prosecutor and constitution of the trial court, as unconstitutional, Dawn news reported.

The three-member special court is expected to announce its verdict in the long-drawn high treason case on Tuesday, despite an earlier Islamabad High Court (IHC) order stopping it from issuing the verdict it had reserved in the case last month.

The IHC's order had come on November 27, a day before the special court was set to announce its verdict.

The application was filed on December 14 through advocates Khawaja Ahmad Tariq Raheem and Azhar Siddique.

Issuing the notice to the government, the LHC decided to hear it alongside the main petition set for hearing on Tuesday.

The high treason trial of the former President for clamping the state of emergency on November 3, 2007, has been pending since December 2013.

He was booked in the treason case in December 2013.

Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year.

However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former military dictator lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016.