The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday upheld the death sentence awarded to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2019 for high treason. In a short verdict, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa declared the Lahore High Court’s 2020 order, which overturned the sentence, “unsustainable and set aside.”
The verdict comes after a four-member bench reviewed appeals challenging the Lahore High Court’s decision. In 2019, a special court had convicted Musharraf for imposing emergency rule in 2007, making him the first military leader sentenced for such an offense in Pakistan’s history.
However, the Lahore High Court later deemed the special court’s proceedings unconstitutional and nullified the sentence.
Today’s ruling reverses the earlier decision and restores the death penalty. Lawyers representing Musharraf’s legal heirs had argued against the Lahore High Court’s jurisdiction and contested the maintainability of Musharraf’s petition before that court.
The Supreme Court previously expressed criticism of the Lahore High Court’s judgment, with Chief Justice Isa accusing it of deliberately ignoring earlier rulings. Justice Athar Minallah even suggested that judges who granted legal cover to Musharraf’s martial law should be tried themselves.
While the legal heirs attempted to participate in the case, the Supreme Court noted that they could not be fully contacted during the proceedings.
The court’s ruling marks the final word in the high-profile case and upholds the original conviction against Musharraf for high treason.
Key Points:
Supreme Court upholds death sentence for Pervez Musharraf.
Verdict overturns Lahore High Court decision from 2020.
Musharraf convicted of high treason for imposing emergency rule in 2007.
Court cited flaws in Lahore High Court’s reasoning and lack of full participation from Musharraf’s legal heirs.
January 10,2024
Source: Dawn