Musharraf's lawyers want trial venue changed after threat

Show a threatening letter sent to them allegedly by the TTP asking to disassociate from the case

Lawyers for Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf today sought a change in venue for his high-profile treason trial citing a threat to their lives by the Pakistani Taliban.

 

The lawyers produced a threatening letter sent to them allegedly by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) asking them to disassociate from the case.

 

Musharraf's counsel Ahmad Raza Kasuri said TTP has threatened his client's legal team including himself, Anwar Mansoor Advocate and Sharifuddin Pirzada.

 

He also said the court, which has been set up at the National Library here, should move to a safer location after the terror attack on the local court in Islamabad on Monday that claimed 11 lives.

 

An application has been filed in this regard by the defence lawyers.

 

However, prosecutor Akram Sheikh Advocate argued that the courts work even during war.

 

Justice Faisal Arab said that the file of the case could not be closed and dumped in the record room in view of any threat and added, "We are conscious of our responsibility, if the case comes before the court, it has to be proceeded, we cannot leave our job for any threat of life".

 

He said that he had spoken to the inspector general and commissioner of Islamabad for an hour yesterday and they had assured him that the court is secure.

 

The hearing of the case has been adjourned till March 7.

 

On March 3, two suicide bombers and their armed accomplices had attacked the district courts in Islamabad's sector F-8 killing 11 people, including an additional sessions judge, and injuring over two dozen others.

 

Condemning the incident, TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid had announced that his group was not responsible for the attack.

 

A little-known militant group called Ahrarul Hind, an alleged splinter group of the TTP, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Musharraf, 70, is scheduled to appear before the Special Court on March 11. He is likely to be indicted on that day.

 

The high-treason case relates to the imposition of emergency rule in 2007 by Musharraf.

 

This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military chief is facing trial for treason.