ISLAMABAD: Retired Gen Pervez Musharraf disowned on Tuesday a statement made by his counsel Mohammad Ibrahim Satti before a larger bench of the Supreme Court that the former president had acted in his own discretion to impose the emergency in 2007, and had not been advised by then prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

In a 42-page detailed judgment explaining the reasons for rejecting Mr Musharraf’s review petition against the July 31, 2009 judgment of declaring the emergency illegal, the court had mentioned an admission by Musharraf’s counsel that Shaukat Aziz had written a letter to the then president and not the army chief and never advised him to impose emergency. Rather Mr Musharraf acted in his own discretion.

“This frank admission by the counsel further weakened his case for review,” the verdict said and wondered how could Mr Musharraf in his capacity as the army chief or even president act in his own discretion.

A press release issued by Advocate Chaudhry Faisal Hussain on the directive of Mr Musharraf said that such instructions had never been given to the counsel and his statement did not reflect the factual position. The truth of the matter is that the Nov 3, 2007 emergency was imposed on the advice of the then prime minister in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of meetings with stakeholders, it said, adding that later the emergency was also endorsed by the then National Assembly through a resolution.

“It is important to note that till date none has denied this assertion,” the press release said, adding that Ibrahim Satti had also filed his personal clarification before the Supreme Court.