LAHORE: Advocate Akram Sheikh, chief prosecutor in the high treason case against former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, on Friday denied renouncing prosecution in the trial.

Giving media briefing at his Lawrence Road office, Mr Sheikh maintained that he never made such an announcement and he had no intention to quit. He was of the view that the treason trial was a landmark in his professional career and he never thought of quitting it.

He said during the course of hearing lawyers of defense had accused him (Sheikh) of being partial and in return he offered the court to quit owing to professional ethics. However, the chief prosecutor said, he never announced inside or outside the courtroom that he had quit the case.

He further said he was a government’s prosecutor not a personal loyal of anybody or any connection with government.

Advocate Sheikh also clarified that he had no personal grudge against Musharraf and he was just performing his professional duty.

About Musharraf’s exemption from personal appearance before the court, he said first of all court would have to frame charges against Musharraf in his presence and then he might be given the exemption. Replying to a media query, he said Musharraf could not go abroad as his name had been placed on the exit control list.