Musharraf unlikely to appear before court Jan 16

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf is unlikely to appear Jan 16 before the special court to face high treason charges against him, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Musharraf's lawyer Ahmad Raza Kasuri said the doctors have not yet declared his client fit, Geo News reported.

He said Musharraf could not take mental pressure due to his current state of health and added that the doctors were likely to inform about his health by Wednesday evening.

"At present, Musharraf is not a normal person and I cannot say exactly if he will appear before the court because he is sick and under observation," the lawyer said.

The lawyer said Musharraf's exemption from appearance in the court would be sought verbally.

The former army chief was also facing security threats, he added.

Last week, the court ordered Musharraf to appear before it Jan 16 to face charges of high treason after reviewing a medical report from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi, where he was admitted with heart problems Jan 2.

"It is clear that the accused has failed to obey and comply with the order of this court," the court had said.

The Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistani government set up a special court to try the former military ruler on charges of high treason for imposing emergency in 2007.

Musharraf has been charged with abrogating, subverting, suspending, holding in abeyance and attempting to conspire against the 1973 Constitution by declaring emergency and detaining judges of the superior courts.