Pakistan Ex-president Musharraf Rejects ‘Fake Cases’

Islamabad, Jan 1, IRNA – Pakistanˈs former president, Pervez Musharraf, who faces murder and high treason cases, has told a gathering of nearly 200 retired army officers in Islamabad that all cases against him are ‘concocted’. Organizers had earlier told the media that he would attend the gathering however later he addressed it via a video link. Musharraf mainly focused on his cases just a day ahead of a special court is scheduled to resume hearing of the high treason case against him in Islamabad. The three-member bench has summoned him to appear on Wednesday. The former president could not appear before the judges last week after police said they found explosives and a pistol on Musharraf’s route to the country. Again on Monday, the Islamabad police said they recovered explosives near Musharraf’s house. The former military chief has earlier told reporters that he is facing threats from al-Qaeda, Pakistani Taliban groups and Baloch insurgents. Musharraf told the retired army officers, some of them senior that he had returned to Pakistan to face the cases in courts as he had been declared absconder and proclaimed offenders while his property and bank accounts frozen. “I have never begged for any help from anyone,” he said amid reports that leaders of some friendly countries could broker a deal between him and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf resigned in 2008 and later went into self-exile and launched his political party All Pakistan Muslim League. He returned to Pakistan in March 2013 to take part in parliamentary elections. However courts disqualified him for standing in the elections. Musharraf, who had taken over in a bloodless coup in 1999, also defended his policies and said he had acted for the interests of the country and the people. The former military leader said he is confident that the courts will do justice with him as he had nothing done wrong and that he had consulted with people in all major decisions./end