Supreme Court Affirms Death Sentence for Pervez Musharraf in Treason Case

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan affirmed the death penalty handed down to the late Pervez Musharraf, a former military ruler and president, by a special court. The four-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Ameenuddin Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah, presided over the case. Musharraf had been sentenced to death on December 17, 2019, under Article 6 of the Constitution for committing high treason by declaring a state of emergency in November 2007. The petitioner's lawyer, Hamid Khan, argued that Musharraf had appealed the sentence, which is a criminal appeal. The petition challenged the Lahore High Court's decision to annul the sentence, emphasizing that both appeals should be heard separately. The chief justice noted that without the presence of Musharraf's heirs, assumptions should not guide decisions. Musharraf's counsel, Salman Safdar, contended that his client's family resided outside Pakistan, preventing their appearance in court. Safdar also argued that others, including the prime minister, law minister, parliament, and Supreme Court judges, were implicated in the November 2007 case. Justice Athar Minallah suggested that if the 1999 emergency had been investigated, the events of November 3 might have been averted. The federal government opposed the appeal against Musharraf's death sentence, and after considering all arguments, the Supreme Court upheld the special court's decision.