Musharraf's health deteriorates, rushed to hospital

Pakistan's former military ruler General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf's health suddenly deteriorated on Thursday and was rushed to a hospital here, according to a media report.

Musharraf, 75, has been restricted from meeting or talking to anyone, The Nation newspaper reported from Dubai.

Musharraf, who has been living in Dubai since March 2016, is facing treason charges for suspending the Constitution in 2007, a punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014.

A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The former army chief left for Dubai for medical treatment and has not returned since, citing security and health reasons.

The former president has been ill for a while now. He was earlier shifted to hospital in January when he fell sick.

The former president's disease has "weakened his nervous system". Musharraf has difficulty in standing and walking, earlier reports said.

Earlier, a special court while accepting Musharraf's request to postpone hearing of the high treason case against him adjourned the hearing till June 12.

During the hearing, Musharraf's counsel Salman Safdar informed the court that his client is unable to walk and he also could not speak well.

Safdar sldo said that Musharraf waned to come to Pakistan but he could not due to illness.

He said that the former president has been admitted in the hospital for forty times since the last two years. He said that doctors recommended that travelling for Musharraf is not secure.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case and the Red Mosque cleric killing case.