Raza Bashir to represent Musharraf in breach of constitution case

ISLAMABAD: Raza Bashir Advocate has been named the counsel of former president Pervez Musharraf to plead his case before a special court hearing breach of constitution trial against him, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The special court has directed the Ministry of Law to notify appointment of Advocate Raza Bashir to represent Musharraf in the trial.

The court also ordered the Registrar to provide the case record to the lawyer appointed for the  former president.

The law ministry had submitted a list of 14 lawyers in the court for selection of the lawyer for Musharraf and the name of Raza Bashir was approved from the list.

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 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.