Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday said country’s former military ruler Parvez Musharraf would be tried for high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Islamabad, June 24/Nationalturk – In what could signal more trouble for detained Pakistan’s former military ruler General (Retd) Parvez Musharraf, country’s recently elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday said the former military ruler would be tried for high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.

“The former president (Parvez Musharraf) had committed treason by abrogating the Constitution and he should be tried under the law,” Nawaz Sharif told country’s parliament National Assembly.

He said Musharraf would be tried for imposing a state of emergency in the country in 2007 while also suspending the constitution.

‘Musharraf would be held accountable’

“Musharraf will be held accountable for subverting the Constitution of Pakistan, stopping judges of higher judiciary from working through illegal orders and taking unconstitutional steps of imposing emergency on November 3, 2007,” Nawaz said adding he will have to answer for his guilt before the court.

Stating that there had been a tug of war between democracy and dictatorship, he said, “Political parties and intellectuals didn’t let the flag of democracy fall. Pakistan came into being through democratic struggle and the process of transition of power will continue in the country”.

Sharif was PM when Musharraf overthrew his govt in 1999

Sharif was the prime minister, when Musharraf overthrew his government in bloodless coup in 1999. The military coup was welcomed by majority of politicians and people of Pakistan.

In a related development, Pakistan’s Attorney General Munir A. Malik in his response to country’s Supreme Court said the procedure to try Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution has begun today.

Earlier, the apex court had asked the government to clarify its position on the petitions urging the court to try the former general under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The apex court gave the Attorney General only three days to decide on a course of action and directed him to submit the government’s response by Thursday.

If convicted, Musharraf can face a possible death penalty or life imprisonment.

Pakistan’s apex court has for months been hearing a petition from lawyers demanding that Musharraf be tried for subverting the constitution by imposing emergency rule and sacking judges in 2007.

Musharraf spent almost four years in self-imposed exile after handing power to PPP in 2007.  He returned from four years of self-imposed exile in March this year, has been under house arrest at his villa on the edge of Islamabad since April 19.

Govt should focus on honeymoon period: Musharraf’s lawyer

Reacting to PM’s statement, lawyer of former military ruler Parvez Musharraf Ahmed Raza Khan Kasuri advised the government to focus on its 90 day ‘honeymoon period’ and the provisions that people were waiting for like electricity, jobs and security.

“People want their problems fixed and that the federal government needed to get its priorities straight,” Kasuri said while referring to the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.

Criticising the written response submitted by the Attorney General (AG) of Pakistan, Musharraf’s lawyer equated it to “constitutional poetry.”

Experts said government could face pressure from the powerful military, which would not like to see a former army chief being publicly humiliated and prisoned.

Article 6 : High Treason

According to excerpts from the constitution of Pakistan, (1)Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.

(2)Any person aiding or abetting [or collaborating] the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.

(2A)An act of high treason mentioned in clause (1) or clause (2) shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court.

(3)Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

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