Islamabad: The Pakistan government today asked a special court to initiate a case of high treason against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, the first time any general has been put on trial.
The government submitted a petition to the office of the registrar of the three-judge special court in Islamabad seeking Musharraf's trial for imposing emergency rule in 2007.
Musharraf imposed emergency and suspended the Constitution to bolster his faltering eight-year rule, ignoring Article 6 which states abrogation of the Constitution is tantamount to high treason punishable with life imprisonment or death sentence.
“The application submitted that a case may be initiated against the former dictator under Article 6 of the Constitution for abrogating the Constitution of the country by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Pakistan has a history of military interventions but this is the first time any general has been put on trial. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently approved the formation of the special court.
