ISLAMABAD, August 29 (TNS): The hearing of the Musharraf treason case was held in the special court on Wednesday in which the Interior secretary told the court that Interpol rejected the request for the arrest of former president Pervez Musharraf.
The special court in Islamabad summoned the Interior secretary, on Aug. 20, to inquire why Pervez Musharraf had not been arrested by now and brought back to the country despite non bailable warrants issued against him.
A two member bench led by Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Justice Yawar Ali and also Justice Nazar Akbar from Sindh High Court who heard the treason case against the former army Chief.
“The government had approached Interpol to bring back Musharraf, however, they rejected the request,” the interior secretary said.
“Interpol officials had said that the high treason case does fall under their legal ambit,” he added.
To this, the court asked the interior secretary to submit Interpol’s reply. The interior secretary in response said he will submit it today.
Further, Justice Yawar questioned if Musharraf’s statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (342CrPc) in the case can be recorded via Skype.
Adjourning the case till September 10, the court ordered that during the next hearing arguments be given over whether Musharraf’s statement can be recorded via Skype or the investigations can move forward without it.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president’s imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.
Last month, head of the prosecution, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, gave his resignation. In his resignation letter sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh expressed his inability to proceed with the case after the change of government at the centre.
Mohammad Akram Sheikh was appointed as the head of the prosecution in the case in November 2013, by the then-PML-N led government.
The former army chief was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.
