Tag: detailed verdict

  • ‘We’re patient’: Military reacts to detailed verdict in ex-chief’s treason case

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Thursday blasted the detailed judgement in the high treason case against former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, stating that the fears of the armed forces had proven true.

    “We direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad and hanged for three days,” one of the judges, Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), had stated in the verdict issued earlier in the day.

    Reacting to the verdict, the military spokesperson said that the words used in the written order “transgressed humanity, religion, culture and any other values”.

    “Pakistan Army is a responsible institution and its soldiers have taken an oath to protect the country. For the armed forces, the country comes first, and institutions later,” Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said as he addressed a short press conference hours after the detailed verdict was issued by the special court trying the ex-army chief for treason.

    “We will not let this stability be reversed under any circumstances,” he said, adding that the military knew how to defend the institution’s integrity, and would foil any attempts by external or internal enemies to destabilise the country.

    “We have been fighting conventional wars, then sub-conventional wars and now, we are facing a hybrid war,” he said. “We know the nature of this war and how to fight it.”

    The DG ISPR said that efforts were being made to weaken Pakistan externally. He said that some elements were trying to destabilise the country by making people fight with one another. “Some people are dreaming that they can defeat Pakistan. This will not happen. If we know about the threat, then our response is also in place.”

    He said that the prime minister (PM) and army chief had spoken in detail over the verdict, and the government would soon inform the nation about the decisions taken by the two.

    “The armed forces are not an institution, but are like a family,” Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

    REFERENCE AGAINST SETH:

    Meanwhile, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan has strongly condemned the detailed verdict of the special court and said that the government would take action against the judge who proposed public hanging.

    Terming the judgement as “illegal, unconstitutional and immoral”, he said that an action would be taken against the judges concerned under Article 209 of the constitution.

    “I will take steps for declaring the verdict null and void after returning from Istanbul. This matter will be sent to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of Pakistan for holding an inquiry against the judge,” the AGP said while talking to ARY News.

    He added that the verdict was seemingly given on the basis of personal enmity and a legal plea would be filed to nullify the verdict in accordance with the law. “It [the verdict] has damaged the reputation of the armed forces as it is an apparent attack against the institution.”

    “A person must not be allowed to continue to perform their duties as a judge when they are mentally ill. This position is not for a person who gives verdicts against the constitution, law and the religion,” he maintained.

    READ DETAILED VERDICT:

  • ‘If found dead, Musharraf’s corpse should be dragged to D-Chowk, hanged for three days’

    ‘If found dead, Musharraf’s corpse should be dragged to D-Chowk, hanged for three days’

    The special court that had earlier found former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason, on Thursday issued its detailed verdict, an excerpt of which has left Twitterati stunned.

    “We direct the Law Enforcement Agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad and hanged for three days,” read the excerpt.

    Here’s what Twitterati have to say about it:

    https://twitter.com/SameenaERana/status/1207595507004170242

    The dooming excerpt was, however, a part of the dissenting opnion of one of the three judges, Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth. This was also confirmed by lawyer Reema Omer.

    A copy of the detailed verdict has been handed to an official of the Ministry of Interior.

    READ FULL VERDICT:

    On Tuesday, the court had sentenced Musharraf to death for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, adding that it had found him guilty of high treason in accordance with Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

    The case was heard by a bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

    The special court, in its detailed verdict authored by Justice Seth, stated that Musharraf “has been afforded more than his due share of fair trial” and “given every opportunity to defend himself”. The court said that “the facts of the case are well documented” and “clearly demonstrate the guilt on the part of the accused”.

    “It proves beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt all the charges of High Treason levelled against the accused by the State,” the verdict adds.

    “We, with the majority of 2 as to 1, allow the complaint and hold the accused guilty of high treason as defined at Article 6 of the Constitution and pass punishment under section 2 High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973. Thus, the convict be hanged by his neck till he is dead,” it reads.

    It was a majority verdict, with two of the three judges giving the decision against Musharraf.