Court directs for public hanging of Pervez Musharraf

Islamabad: Pakistan’s special court on Thursday issued the detailed verdict of high treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, directing his public hanging.

Justice Nazar Akbar opposed the verdict of sentencing Pervez Musharraf to death and cleared him of the accusations while Justice Waqar Seth and Justice Shahid Karim handed him the death penalty. The detailed verdict has been termed as first of its kind.

“We are of the considered view that the accused in this High Treason case has been given more than its due share of fair trial. The protected trial of a constitutional and not any ordinary offence that began six years ago in 2013, has yet to see its end in 2019. The accused, who has been given every opportunity to defend himself, has by his conduct in the proceedings only evinced his utter contempt for the law and legal institutions in this country. The facts of this case are well documented. The documents clearly demonstrate the guilt on the part of the accused. It proves beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt all the charges of High Treason leveled against accused by the state.

“It is patent by the act and conduct of the accused facing trial, that he has persistently and stubbornly strived ever since the commencement of this trial, to delay, retract and in fact evade it. It has been his plea throughout that either on account of ill health or for security hazards he could not reach up to this Court to face trial,” read the judgement.

“As a necessary corollary to what has been observed we find the accused guilty as per charge.

The convict be therefore hanged by his neck till he dies on each count as per charge.