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Regular-article-logo Friday, 19 April 2024

Pakistan seeks judge ouster over Pervez Musharraf corpse slur

One of the three judges did support death sentence while the third one wrote note of dissent with the verdict

Nasir Jaffry Islamabad Published 19.12.19, 09:43 PM
Supporters of former Pakistani military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf protest a court's decision, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 18, 2019.

Supporters of former Pakistani military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf protest a court's decision, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on December 18, 2019. AP

Pakistan’s government on Thursday decided to bring down a judge of the special court set up to try former former President Pervez Musharraf for treason hours after his verdict directing police to drag ex-military ruler’s corpse to Islamabad.

Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa contacted Prime Minister Imran Khan immediately after announcement of the detailed verdict of the three-judge special court, expressing serious concern over over what is being widely described as “madness and personal vendetta” of Justice Waqar Seth with government calling him “mentally unfit” to hold the position of a judge.

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Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor called a press conference in the garrison town of Rawalpindi to express dismay over the split verdict, which condemned Musharraf to death for aborgating the Constitution twice from 1999 to 2007.

He said, “Whatever words used in the verdict were repugnant to humanity, religious and social ethos.”

Ailing former President also dismissed the verdict from his hoispital bed in Dubai, calling it “personal vendetta of the judge” in a video statement.

“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 Islamabad, Pakistan and be hanged for three days,” Said seth in his observation, to which other two judge did not agree.

One of the three judges did support death sentence while the third one wrote note of dissent with the verdict.

As the verdict announced, the local TV channels began flashing it in red with majority of top jurists including Aitzaz Ahsan and former attorney general Irfan Qadir strongly opposing the verdict.

Sources told The Telegraph the verdict infuriated all ranks and files of the armed forces with senior military officials calling it as an insult and an attempt by forces inimical to Pakistan to weaken the country.

Pakistan's attorney general, Anwar Mansoor Khan, who is in the US, told The Telegraph, he heard the verdict's paragraph 66 with deep anguish, which was something unprecedented in his juristic experience.

Ghafoor said Pakistan is currently fighting a hybrod war and its enemies are trying to weaken our country. “We want to know how to defend the country and how to defend the honour of every institution.”

“We will defend country's honour as well as honour of our institutions...I request the people to have confidence in their armed forces, we will not let chaos grip the country”.

He said,” Our enemy is trying to weaken us from inside. If we know the threat, our response to deal with such threats is also in place”.

Law minister Nasim Farogh told a press conference in Islamabad'I am at a loss to understand under what authority the judge gave such a verdict.With due respect, this was unprecedented despicable and wrong observation that judge gave.

“The federal government has decided to move Supreme Judicial Council for trial of the judge as such a person has no right to be judge of any court.

“The judge has proven that he is mentally unfit, incompetent and therefore, he be stopped from discharging his duties forthwith”.The government will go into appeal against the verdict in addition to moving SJC.

Musharraf's nine year tenure in government from 1999 to 2007 has been highly controversial and debatable since he was accused by his own colleagues in uniform of betraying them on several occasions and taking unilateral decisions without consulting them especially after 9/11 when the United States sought Pakistan's support per force in the war against terror.

He is also accused of handing over several local and foreign high value targets arrested in Pakistan during this war without consulting security wizards.

However, his decision to send home then chief justce Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry under 'filmzy charges', imposition of emergency and arrest of judges triggered a wave of anger across Pakistan especially after the apex court restored Judge Chaudhry.

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