ISLAMABAD: The Special Court Thursday ordered Secretary Ministry of Interior and Lt-Gen (retd) Rashid Qureshi to file statements regarding former President Pervez Musharraf’s appearance before this court on next date of hearing.
Gen Rashid Qureshi had submitted surety bond of Rs 2 million for Musharraf’s bail. According to bail bond he had given undertaking that Musharraf will appear before the Special Court on each date of hearing and in case of default his surety could be forfeited.
Special Court, headed by Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, chief justice of PHC, resumed the hearing of high treason case.
Musharraf’s counsels submitted application for his exemption and adjourning the case for 14 weeks.
The Special Court on March 7 summoned former army chief general (retd) Pervez Musharraf on 31st March to record statement under section 342 of Criminal Procedure Code. It also declined to accept medical report that had advised the former commando complete rest.
Musharraf went abroad after the top court dismissed the federation appeal against the Sindh High Court judgment, which had asked the government to remove his name from the Exit Control List.
A five-member bench of apex court, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, on March 16 dismissed the federation's appeal, but ruled: “This order will not preclude the federal and Special Court, which is seized with high treason case under Article 6 of Constitution against Pervez Musharraf, from passing legal order to regulate his custody and restricting his movement.”
Akram Sheikh, chief prosecutor, said the accused left Pakistan last week but they expected that he would come back in the country and record his statement.
He said the court has four options first to forfeit the surety, cancel the bail or to issue order for the forced appearance of the accused by issuing red warrant. He said that the controversy of ECL should not be mixed up with this case. He requested the court to decide the case earliest as it was started in December 2013.
He asked the court to record the statement of the accused through video link or Skyp. The court, however, did not accept his plea.
The Special Court was established under Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act 1976 to hear high treason case Pervez Musharraf for promulgating emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order on 3rd November 2007. It has been hearing the case since December 24, 2013.