ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday resumed the hearing of the treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, was hearing a set of petitions seeking the initiation of a treason case against the former army strongman.

Musharraf’s counsel, Ibrahim Satti, was presenting his arguments before the court.

Satti said Musharraf was not a party in the petition in which a ruling was issued against him.

Moreover, Attorney General Irfan Qadir said the measures taken on November 3, 2007 were unnecessary.

Upon which, Justice Khawaja asked as to what the attorney general meant by "unnecessary".

Earlier during Wednesday’s hearing, Musharraf suggested to the bench to summon people who had aided, abetted or collaborated in his emergency proclamation of November 3, 2007.

“Their presence is necessary in the proceedings under the constitutional jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under enforcement of the fundamental rights,” a reply submitted by the retired general said.

The former military ruler is also accused in cases pertaining to unlawful detention of superior court judges, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007 as well as the 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Khan Bugti.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan last month after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest the May 11 general election.

However, election officials have barred Musharraf from running for the National Assembly, effectively derailing his attempts to regain a place in politics by standing at the polls.

Although Musharraf’s legal battles have provided an electrifying sideshow in the election race, he commands scant popular support and the outcome of the drama is unlikely to have much impact on the final results.