Defence lawyer seeks meeting with Musharraf in breach of constitution hearing

ISLAMABAD: Defence counsel of former president Pervez Musharraf pleaded to the special court for a meeting with the accused before recording his statement under article 342 in breach of constitution trial against him, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A two-judge Special Court comprising Justice Nazar Akbar and Justice Shahid Kareem hearing the breach of constitution case against Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The government’s appointed defence counsel Raza Bashir asked the court to direct the ministry for arrangement of his meeting with Musharraf.

Justice Nazar Akbar of the two-member bench told the counsel that the time to record the statement of the former president under CrPC 342 has been passed. “You have been appointed under the law to provide assistance to the court,” Justice Nazar Akbar said.

“Why you have submitted the petition, you were given one month for preparation,” the judge asked the defence lawyer. The bench said the court will not grant any further adjournment.

Justice Shahid Karim asked the counsel to start his final arguments in the case.

“If you are not initiating arguments the bench will write it in its order, Justice Nazar Akbar said.

The court later adjourned the hearing until October 08.

Raza Bashir Advocate was named the counsel of former president Pervez Musharraf to plead his case before a special court.

Earlier, the tribunal seized with former president Pervez Musharraf’s treason trial had adjourned the proceedings against him for a month as the law ministry had required time to finalise selection of a lawyer to represent him.

The special court had on June 12 barred Musharraf’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar from arguing on his behalf over the Supreme Court’s orders and directed the law ministry to appoint a defence lawyer for the former president.

The former president has been declared an absconder by the special court as he has not been appearing before the court since March 2016, when he left the country.

Gen Musharraf lives in Dubai and has been unable to attend hearings in Pakistan as he is reportedly receiving medical treatment for a rare disease.

Gen Musharraf was booked in a treason case in December 2013. He was indicted on March 31, 2014 in the case for suspending the Constitution by proclamation of emergency on Nov 3, 2007. He left for Dubai in 2016 to seek medical treatment and hasn’t returned since.