Tag: death sentence

  • BJP offers Indian citizenship to Musharraf after death sentence

    BJP offers Indian citizenship to Musharraf after death sentence

    Amid the ongoing protests across India against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has tweeted on granting “fast track” citizenship to former Pakistan president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, who has been sentenced to death for treason.

    “We can give Musharraf fast track citizenship since he is from Daryaganj and suffering persecution. All self-acknowledged descendants of Hindus are qualified in a new CAA to come,” Subramanian Swamy tweeted Thursday.

    On Tuesday, a special court in Pakistan had sentenced the former military ruler to death in the long-drawn high treason case against him.

    Meanwhile, for the past one week, widespread protests are taking place across India over the newly enacted CAA that provides citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who face religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and arrived before December 31, 2014.

    The new law has been deemed anti-Muslim for being discriminatory.

  • ‘CJP Khosa’s statements about Musharraf’s case are fake,’ clarifies SC

    ‘CJP Khosa’s statements about Musharraf’s case are fake,’ clarifies SC

    The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has said that the statements of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa being aired and published by differnent news channels regarding former army cheif Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s high treason case are baseless and concocted.

    In a press release, the top court clarified that the fake news items have created an impression that CJP Khosa was personally involved in the progress of the case and he was giving directions to other judges.

    “Different benches of the supreme court of Pakistan had been hearing different aspects of the case of Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and had passed various orders for the early disposition of the said case”

    “The Hon’ble Chief Justice had not issued any direction of any sort to the Special Court other than the judicial directions issued by the relevant benches of the Supreme Court in the above mentioned case,” the statement said.

    A few news channels and newspaper had earlier published statements of CJP Khosa saying that the treason case was clear and that Mushrraf was given many chances to present his views.

    On Tuesday, a special court awarded death sentence to former military dictator Musharraf in absentia for suspending the constitution on November 3, 2007.

  • Was offered bribes, lucrative positions to drop Musharraf’s case: CJP Khosa

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa has reportedly said that he was “offered lucrative positions and bribes multiple times to drop former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s case”, but he refused to accept any.

    According to Geo News, the top judge, during an informal discussion with journalists, said that the Supreme Court (SC) had already declared the former president’s case as “open and shut” and the judges feared nothing for as long as they were providing justice to the masses.

    CJP Khosa was also quoted as saying that the decision regarding the extension of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa “would have long term effects that the people would realise later”.

    “I have already accepted a fellowship offer at Harvard to pursue following my retirement,” the CJP said.

    On Tuesday, a special court awarded death sentence to former military dictator Musharraf in absentia for suspending the constitution on November 3, 2007.

    While the counsel for the convict and the armed forces’ media wing in separate statements strongly criticised the decision that they said was taken “in haste”, opposition parties maintained that “justice had prevailed”.

    According to The Express Tribune, the outgoing CJP is said to have played a key role in making sure the six-year-old treason trial against the former president was concluded before he retired.

  • ‘Who’s trying to save their dad?’ Bilawal asks PM Imran

    A day after the government announced to review the death sentence awarded to former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken a dig at Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by asking him that “who was trying to save their father”.

    “Who is running a ‘Save the Dad’ (abbu bachao) campaign?” the chairman of the country’s second-largest opposition party said in a tweet that apparently came in response to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers and the premier himself repeatedly calling out Bilawal and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz for launching “Save the Dad” campaigns.

    On Tuesday, a special court awarded death sentence to former military dictator Musharraf in absentia for suspending the constitution on November 3, 2007.

    While the counsel for the convict and the armed forces’ media wing in separate statements strongly criticised the decision that they said was taken “in haste”, opposition parties maintained that “justice had prevailed”.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the government will “review in detail” the ruling.

    “We will review in detail, today’s verdict as well as yesterday’s,” Dawn quoted her saying on Tuesday. She further said that legal experts would analyse all legal and political aspects as well as the impact on national interests, after which a government statement would be presented to the media.

    In response to a question about whether the government will bring Musharraf back to Pakistan, Awan said the government would assess the matter with its legal team. “The premier himself will look at the relevant ground realities and legal framework, following which a final decision will be taken.”

  • Chunian child rapist-murderer given death sentence on three counts

    A special court on Tuesday awarded the Chunian child rapist-murderer death sentence on three counts, along with a life sentence on one count and a fine worth Rs3.2 million, for one of the four rape and murders he had committed earlier this year. He has also been directed to pay Rs200,000 compensation to the legal heirs of the victim.

    According to reports, the court awarded the verdict to the 27-year-old rickshaw driver over the murder of only one of the four children, whose remains were recovered back in September. However, the cases of the remaining minors are still pending before the court.

    On October 1, the perpetrator Sohail Shahzad was arrested by police in a case pertaining to the rape and murder of four minors in Chunian, located about 70 km south of Lahore. Four children — aged between eight and 12 years — had gone missing since June this year with the latest, eight-year-old Faizan, disappearing on the night of September 16.

    Soon after, the remains of three of them were found on September 17 from sand dunes near Chunian bypass. The discovery sent waves of shock and terror among the residents who protested against the continuous cycle of child abuse in the area.

    Considering the matter was of grave concern, Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of the incident, ordered an inquiry and overhauled the local police set-up.

    Two weeks later, Shahzad was arrested after his DNA matched with samples recovered from the remains of a victim. During the initial questioning, Sohail confessed to sexually abusing and killing all four children.

    Due to security concerns, the trial against the convict was held at Kot Lakhpat Jail. A total of 23 witnesses recorded their statements against the convict.

  • Explainer: Musharraf’s crime, punishment as per law

    Former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday was sentenced to death by a special court hearing the high treason case against him.

    The case was reigstered against the ex-dictator for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in 2013 under Article 6 of the counstitution.

    Here is what Article 6 says:

    “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.”

    The second clause of the article maintains that any person aiding, abetting or collaborating in the acts will also be considered guilty of high treason; while clause 2A states that an act of high treason cannot be validated by any court, including the Supreme Court (SC) and a high court.

    The last clause directs the parliament to provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason, and according to the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973, the punishment is death or lifetime imprisonment.

    STATE OF EMERGENCY:

    On November 3, 2007, the then president and chief of army staff (COAS) Musharraf issued a proclamation of emergency, which held the constitution in a state of temporary suspension.

    While he later resigned as army chief 25 days into the emergency on November 28, the state of emergency and its responses are generally attributed to the controversies surrounding his re-election during the presidential election on October 6, 2007, including his holding of both offices of president and COAS at the time.

    Coming to power six years later, Nawaz Sharif had announced putting the former military ruler on trial for treason, saying the former president had committed treason by abrogating the constitution and should be tried under the law.