Musharraf's plea against prosecutor's appointment rejected

The special court constituted to try Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf Friday rejected his petition in which he challenged the appointment of Akram Shaikh as head of the prosecution team.

Registrar Abdul Ghani said the petition was inadmissible for hearing and the judges have rejected it, Dawn online reported.

The three-judge court said the Islamabad High Court's verdict of Dec 23, 2013, had held as valid the appointment of Akram Shaikh as the chief prosecutor.

The court had reserved its verdict on Musharraf's plea challenging Shaikh's appointment March 26.

Musharraf's lawyer Anwar Mansoor Khan alleged that Shaikh had earlier expressed his interest to prosecute the former army strongman under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Khan also challanged Shaikh's appointment in the court besides filing two other petition that the appointment was not legitimate.

Musharraf was indicted last month for high treason and for suspending the constitution when he declared Emergency rule in 2007.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He assumed power in Pakistan in a bloodless coup when he dismissed the government of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999.

Musharraf resigned in 2008 as president and went into exile, but returned to Pakistan in March last year to run in the parliamentary elections. However, a court disqualified him from contesting in the general elections held in May 2013.

The case has been adjourned till April 24.