ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Wednesday refused to grant more time to the federal government after it sought more time from the court to determine whether lodging a treason case against the former President Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf ahead of elections would be appropriate.
A two-member bench of the apex-court comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain hearing the Musharraf treason case had directed the federal government to submit a reply over whether the former military ruler be tried under Article 6 of the constitution or not.
However, in a written reply submitted by the Attorney General of Pakistan Irfan Qadir on behalf of the Federal government before the bench, the government said that it had yet to determine whether it would be proper to initiate proceedings in this case before the elections.
The apex court turned down the federal government’s request to grant one week’s time to submit its reply.
In its reply, the government said that the foremost priority of the caretaker regime is to ensure free and fair elections.
“Whether lodging a case of high treason in the present circumstances would in any way adversely impact the impartiality as viewed by people of Pakistan in general and political parties in particular,” the federation posed a question before the apex court in its reply.
The government also argued that since Ministry of Interior is preoccupied to provide security to thousands of candidates.
“Therefore it is requested that the case should be adjourned for a week as federation desired to determine whether it wants to lodge the case against Pervez Musharraf ahead of the case.”
DND
