Islamabad
Attorney-General for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan on Monday said former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf had not been given fair trial as he was handed over death penalty in absentia by the Special Court in the high treason case.
“Pervez Musharraf was neither allowed to produce evidence nor given a chance to record his statement under Section 342 by the court. Neither I am supporting anyone nor giving comments in favour of an individual but only describing legal aspects of the case,” he added.
Flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan here, the AGP told the press conference that the case against the former president was initiated on the direction of apex court. The then interior secretary filed a complaint against him in the Special Court, constituted in 2014, to indict him for high treason under Article 6 for violating the Constitution of Pakistan, he added. The attorney general said the former president’s trial was conducted in absentia, “which is not a routine matter.” Article 10-A of the Constitution guaranteed right of fair trial to everyone.
“A trial should not only be fair but appears to be done fairly,” he said, questioning what was the hurry in pronouncing the judgment against Musharraf. The judgment seemed to be a constitutional deviation as the accused’s fundamental rights had been infringed upon, he added. The AGP said the government believed that justice should prevail in every case and justice should be provided to everyone. It would stand up when it saw the justice was not being done in any case. Sharing background of the case, he said the former president had filed applications in the court to indict others,
