ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions judge has attached the luxurious Chak Shahzad farmhouse belonging to former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in a high treason case, as the special court trying the case has declared him an absconder.

A three-judge special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel on July 19 declared Mr Musharraf an absconder, and ordered the confiscated of his movable and immovable properties.

According to details about Mr Musharraf’s properties submitted to the special court by the Ministry of Interior, the former dictator owns seven immovable properties and nine bank accounts.

The immovable properties include the Chak Shahzad farmhouse, land in the Army Housing Scheme in Karachi, Khayaban-i-Faisal, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Karachi, Beach Street, DHA Islamabad and DHA Lahore.

Former dictator’s Chak Shahzad farmhouse is sub judice, ownership claimed by spouse

Mr Musharraf also operates nine bank accounts in Bank Alfalah, Askari Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and the National Bank of Pakistan.

The farmhouse mentioned in the interior ministry’s details is disputed, since the matter is sub judice. Mr Musharraf’s wife, Sehba Musharraf, claims ownership of the house, which she says her husband gifted to her in 2008.

District and Sessions Judge (East) Islamabad Sohail Ikram, in pursuance of the special court’s order, held that “complaint No.01 of 2013 (regarding high treason) has been made before us that accused General (retired) Pervez Musharraf… has committed the offence of high treason…[and] is intentionally avoiding the execution of arrest warrants and as per available record has left the country”.

The judge’s order stated that “a proclamation has been issued and published required General (retired) Pervez Musharraf... to appear and answer the complaint till July 12, 2016”.

The order says that since Mr Musharraf has failed to comply with repeated notices from the special court, properties under his possession are liable to be attached.

Commenting on the attachment of properties, Faisal Hussain – a member of Mr Musharraf’s legal team – said the matter is already sub judice, and so Ms Musharraf may challenge the order.

He said that on July 19, the special court had allowed for disputed regarding properties belonging to the suspect to be challenged at the appropriate forum.

Published in Dawn November 17th, 2016