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Military-judiciary clash over Musharraf risks plunging Pakistan into crisis

The military has directly or indirectly ruled Pakistan for much of its existence

Supporters of Pervez Musharraf
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Supporters of Pervez Musharraf chant slogans after a special court in Pakistan sentenced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death. Photo:Reuters

Kamran Haider and Khalid Qayum | Bloomberg
Top ministers in Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government have criticized the judiciary for sentencing a former army chief to death, and suggested the move may increase the possibility of confrontation with the military leading to political strife.

On Tuesday, a special court handed down the death penalty in absentia to Pervez Musharraf for the crime of high treason for suspending the constitution as the president in 2007. The verdict came two weeks after the Supreme Court ordered that current army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s three-year extension needed the approval of Parliament.

The courts should have shown more “restraint, ” said Fawad