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ISLAMABAD: The high treason case against former military dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf suffered a blow on Monday as head of the prosecution Mohammad Akram Sheikh tendered his resignation.
In his resignation letter sent to the interior secretary, Advocate Sheikh expressed his inability to proceed with the case after the imminent change of government at the Centre.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had appointed Akram Sheikh as head of the prosecution in the high treason case in November 2013.
Initially, the legal team of Gen Musharraf challenged Advocate Sheikh’s appointment as chief prosecutor, but the special court seized with the high treason case as well as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed the challenge.
Akram Sheikh expresses inability to proceed with case because of expected change of government
The special court indicted Gen Musharraf for high treason in March 2014. The prosecution laid its evidence by September same year. However, thereafter, the special court could not proceed against the former dictator as the IHC issued a stay order and then Gen Musharraf left the country after the superior courts removed his name from the Exit Control List.
The special court declared the accused a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his properties which could not be attached due to the litigation in courts.
The special court earlier this year resumed proceedings in the treason case and ordered that Gen Musharraf’s computerised national identity card (CNIC) and passport be blocked. The outgoing PML-N government in May executed the court order and blocked his CNIC and passport.
However, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, during hearing of a case related to disqualification of Gen Musharraf, allowed him to return and restored his travel documents.
Advocate Sheikh repeatedly requested the special court to conclude the trial and issue a verdict in the absence of Gen Musharraf, citing recent examples where the accountability court is conducting trial against former finance minister Ishaq Dar in absentia.
However, after the general elections and possible change of government where it is obvious that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is going to form the government, Advocate Sheikh mentioned in his resignation that the next government could engage a lawyer of its choice.
Talking to Dawn, Advocate Sheikh confirmed that he had submitted the resignation to the interior ministry. If the PTI wanted to continue with the case, it could engage a lawyer to proceed with the case, he said.
He, however, ruled out the possibility that any government may withdraw the treason case against Gen Musharraf.
“It will be tantamount to aiding and abetting the accused person,” he said.
The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) of Gen Musharraf withdrew its candidate in support of Imran Khan from NA-53, Islamabad.
APML head Dr Mohammad Amjad had filed his nomination papers, but later he withdrew in favour of the PTI chairman.
Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2018
Comments (31) Closed
run as hard as you can.
Use interpol to bring back Musharraf and eventually his looted money.
A three time elected PM sits in Jail on weak convictions and a person who broke the constitution remains at large.
People like Akram Sheikh and Atizaz Ahsan are less of lawmen and more of political brokers and dealers
Believe me, nothing will happen to Musharraf. His property is intact and so he . He is enjoying in Dubai and London. Imran khan will not pursue this car for reasons known to many.
Surely a legal position should not be affected by change in government. The resignation seems a lay excuse to delay the case further and absolve one-self of any responsibility should Musharaf was found guilty.
Musharraf great visionary leader. Win or Loose, I have respect for the Honorable President Musharraf, so many Project of Industrialization happened in Musharraf Era, thank you for freeing media. Great Pakistani.
Go PTI!
@Khan I think you are not aware of any facts about Gen Pervez. There is no evidence of his looting the country. Instead his governance was examplary.
It will be a boost to democracy and a great moment for Pak judiciary if they succeed in putting Musharraf behind bar.
Naya Pakistan and the justice going to dust............
Akram Sheikh will need to find a place to hide.
Musharraf may have acted unconstitutionally at certain times but he was the best leader we saw in this century. He brought the value of the US Dollar down 5-10% and there were no restrictions on media during his tenure. Long live Musharraf!
Doubt Musharraf will be back soon to Pakistan.
@Khan Did he loot money? any proof?
@Ahmed Three-time PM broke the country.
Pakistan is on brink of bankruptcy and instability due to terrorism and other social economic issues and the last thing PTI wants to do is to waste peoples time in never ending trials. It's time to bring back the looted wealth and reconstruct the country..everything else is secondary
“He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.......”
@Ahmed So why Mr. Akram has left. Why he could not continue? Only because his good friend and his party is nowhere to be seen. No one can deny the fact that how favorite how was to PML-N group.
@Khan Where is the Musharafs loot and why no one has been able to track or give any evidence.
@Ahmed Musharaf was in power for 10 years but none of the billions number or even millions numbers of money got associated with him. And if you see Nawaz Shareef nothing less than billions is associated with him.
@Ahmed A very immature naive statement.
@Khan Stop lying. Musharraf never loot. Unlike Nawaz and Zardari
@Truth is truth: - we shall see what happens to this case and that will tell the story of the elections and what happened earlier to PML-N and NS.
@Zoraiz Zafar No restrictions on media? Hahah, that's funny.
@Ahmed;
He stole money all three times he was elected.
@Khan;
There is no corruption case against Musharraf.
@Ahmed : that three time PM.'s govt allowed Musharaf to leave the country
@Umar Farooq;
'Naya Pakistan and the justice going to dust............'
Model Town massacre is not going to dust.
Akram Sheikh has represented the Sharif family in numerous cases over the decades. His appointment as prosecution head in the Musharraf treason case makes the entire case null and void ab initio. Both Nawaz Sharif and Akram Sheikh should be prosecuted for this appointment.
He is well aware that this case had no merit to begin with and when the persona animosity NS had with Musharraf now no longer excercisable, it will not stand one bit of scrutiny. Treason and Musharraf are two unimaginable things. He was and is one of the greatest patriots. Instead NS should be tried on treason for which there is ample evidence; selling the country and privatizing national institutions need to be treated as treason.
The beneficiaries of previous government are leaving.