Pervez Musharraf to return to Pakistan on May 1, says counsel

Former President Pervez Musharraf is set to return to Pakistan on May 1, his counsel said on Saturday, adding that Musharraf is scheduled to appear in a special court hearing on May 2.

Quoting Musharraf's family, Counsel Suleman Safdar told ARY News that the former president, who is facing high treason case, is insisting to return to Pakistan from Dubai, where he had gone in 2016 to seek medical treatment but doctors were not permitting his request keeping in view his medical conditions.

A special court, hearing Musharraf's case had ordered the former leader to appear before it on May 2, Safdar added.

He also said that the Pakistan Supreme Court last month had ordered Musharraf to appear before the special court on May 2, otherwise he would lose the right of defence in the case and the court will give its decision based off of the prosecution's arguments.

The apex court, in addition, issued a notice to the government, seeking a reply on the steps taken to bring Musharraf to the country.

The high treason case against Musharraf was filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in 2013, alleging that the former President had unlawfully suspended the Constitution with the help of the military and instituted an emergency rule in 2007.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, noted that the proceedings of the treason case come to a halt as the former President left for Dubai in 2016 to seek medical treatment and has not returned since then.

The apex court said that if Musharraf does not appear before the special court on May 2, he would lose his right to record a statement under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).