Musharraf To Appear In Court In High Treason Case On Feb.18: Lawyer

Islamabad, Feb 8, IRNA -- Former Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, will appear before a special court, hearing a high treason case against him, later this month, his defense lawyer told the court on Friday. The three-member court had issued a bailable arrest warrant for Musharraf last week and had ordered him to appear on Friday however he did not appear once again and his defense lawyers requested another exemption. Musharraf faces treason charges for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of the superior courts. Justice Faisal Arab, heading the bench, said the court could issue a non-bailable warrant for Musharrafˈs arrest if he did not appear on next hearing. Musharraf’s lawyer, Anwar Mansoor Khan, assured the court that his client will appear on February 18. He also argued that the court has not heard him and issued arrest warrant. The former military ruler has not appeared before the court since the court has started the trial in December 2013. Musharraf was taken to a military hospital in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad last month when he was heading to the court to stand in the high treason case. The former military president is still under treatment at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, his lawyers say. The hospital has presented Musharraf’s medical report in the court and the court ruled that there is nothing serious in the report to stop the former President from courtˈs appearance. Last week the court, while delivering verdict on the medical report, issued bailable arrest warrant for the former military ruler after his failure to appear despite several orders. The Islamabad police had served the arrest warrant on Musharraf in the hospital this week and submitted the report in the court on Friday. Defense lawyers of Musharraf had earlier insisted that their client could not appear because of his poor health condition and had also opposed arrest warrant. Special prosecutor, Akram Sheikh, had prayed to the court to issue Musharrafˈs arrest warrant as he intentionally avoided appearance in the court. The medical report had suggested an immediate angiography for Musharraf as his lawyers said he suffered from heart problem. The medical report said Musharraf has refused to undergo angiography in Pakistan and wants it outside the country and in hospital of his choice. As all facilities of angiography are available at the AFIC, the report called for a decision about the angiography as soon as possible. The court had earlier observed that Musharraf is not too sick to avoid appearance. Medical experts said that all facilities for his treatment are available in Pakistan and there is no need to take him out of the country for treatment. The court in an earlier verdict said that all facilities for Musharrafˈs treatment is available in Pakistan and that he cannot go abroad for treatment and that Musharraf can get treatment in the country. Musharraf’s name is in the list of those people who cannot leave the country with the government’s permission. The Interior Ministry has rejected Musharraf’s request to remove his name from the Exit Control List. Musharraf had already got bails in three high profile cases including the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She was killed in a suicide bomb attack and gunshots during Musharrafˈs rule in Rawalpindi./end