Special court to hear Musharraf high treason case on August 20

A special court in Pakistan on Friday scheduled the hearing of a high treason case against former President Pervez Musharraf for August 20.

The case will be heard by a bench headed by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali. The other members of the bench are Balochistan High Court Justice Tahira Safdar and Sindh High Court Justice Nazar Akbar, Geo News reported.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against Musharraf over the President's imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

Last month, lawyer Akram Sheikh stepped down as the head of the prosecution team tasked by the government in 2013 to prosecute Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The former Army chief was indicted in March 2014 after he made an appearance before the court, rejecting all the charges against him.

On March 18, 2016, Musharraf left Pakistan for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the Exit Control List on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A few months later, the special court declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his no-show.

A year later, a special court restrained Musharraf's counsel from presenting his arguments, noting that it could not hear the lawyer of an absconder.

In May 2017, Musharraf expressed, through a plea, his willingness to face the high treason trial under the Army's protection and on the assurance from the court that he would be given a safe passage to return to Dubai.

The government had earlier requested the special court to proceed with the trial of the former military ruler in the high treason case.

On orders of the apex court, Musharraf's passport and identity card were also cancelled since he failed to return to the country despite the last chance given to him for the purpose.

--IANS

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