ISLAMABAD: The prosecution team in the high treason case filed an application before the Special Court on Wednesday for commencement of the trial against former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The prosecution alleged that the former military ruler was trying to delay the trial and he had filed 21 applications since December last year to linger the matter.

The application said the accused was indicted on March 31 but the court had neither proceeded to consider the evidence that might be submitted in support of the prosecution nor specific a timeframe in this regard.

It appeared from the conduct of the accused that his interest was in delaying the commencement of the evidence stage and ultimately frustrating culmination of the trial, it said.

While rightly keeping in mind the right of the accused to fair trial, the court had been embroiled for the past four months in hearing the applications filed by the defence, it said.

“However, the defence is overstepping the indulgence shown by this special court,” the application said.

It said that the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act, 1976 which regulated the procedure for such trials mandated in Section 6(1)(c) that “…if the accused pleads not guilty or refuses to plead, or claims to be tried, the Special Court shall proceed to take all such evidence as may be produced in support of the prosecution”.

The application said it was a settled proposition that an accused in a case should be punished or acquitted expeditiously.

It said the accused had had adequate time and facilities for preparing his defence and there was no other compelling reason for deferring the recording of the prosecution’s evidence.

The prosecution requested the court to begin recording the evidence and statements of the witnesses against Mr Musharraf.