Pakistan Bar Council condemns DG ISPR's criticism of detailed verdict against Musharraf

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), an apex body of country's lawyers, has condemned the statement by DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor in which he had criticised the detailed judgement in the high treason case against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf to be against "humanity and religion".

A statement by the PBC released on Thursday said that Ghafoor's statement was a clear cut violation of the legal and constitutional provisions and thus amounts to contempt of the court.

"If there are some flaws in the judgement of Musharraf's case, in the opinion of DG, ISPR, then the law has provided procedure and proper course for agitating such flaws, if any, before the higher judicial forums by way of appeal, revision, or constitutional petition."

For the first time in Pakistan's recent history, a special court, earlier this week, had handed a death sentence to a former military general in a high treason court.

In a press conference here on Thursday, the ISPR chief had said that the words used in the detailed verdict against Musharraf were beneath any civil discourse, while also adding that the anarchy and discord would not be allowed to take place in the country, as per a report by The News International.

In its statement, the PBC said that the manner in which the judgement against Musharraf has been criticised by an official of the Army gave an impression that all the institutions in Pakistan are "subservient to the Armed Forces, to follow its dictation and there is no respect for any other forum including the judiciary."

It further said that the legal community in Pakistan is of the view that the attitude adopted by the Federal government, its ministers, law officers, and the Attorney-General confirms that the party in power has been installed by the Army and that its institution is on the 'driving seat'.

'We therefore strongly condemn and disapprove the insulting attitude of the Army officials, as well as the government functionaries towards the judiciary and the constitutional process of dispensation of justice," the statement concluded.