Islamabad: The Peshawar High Court in the northwestern Khyber Pakthunkhwa province on Tuesday imposed a lifetime ban on military ruler Pervez Musharraf from contesting elections, local television channels reported.
A four-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court chief justice Dost Mohammad Khan passed the ban while dismissing Musharraf’s appeal against the rejection of his candidature. Musharaff had sought to seek election to the National Assembly by running for a seat in the town of Chitral. The former president had filed the appeal through his lawyer.
The bench observed that Musharraf could not be allowed to contest the polls as he had violated the constitution twice and confined over 60 superior court judges and their families to their homes when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.
Earlier, an anti-terrorism court hearing proceedings in the Benazir Bhutto murder case on Tuesday ordered that Musharraf be placed on a two-week judicial remand after the expiry of a five-day physical remand.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is interrogating Musharraf, who has been confined to his farmhouse due to threats on his life. The luxury residence was declared a sub-jail by authorities on April 20.
Bhutto, a former two-time prime minister, was killed on December 27, 2007 — a time Musharraf was president.
The five accused in the case, all suspected militants, are in jail and facing trial along with two former senior police officers, who are on bail.
Musharraf also faces charges of suspending the constitution and imposing emergency rule on November 3, 2007 and detaining over 60 superior court judges. The former president was not taken to the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi for the remand due to security reasons, FIA officials said.
In southwestern Balochistan province, another anti-terrorism court on Tuesday allowed police to question the former president over the 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, in a military operation.
After his March 24 return to Pakistan, the former military ruler’s plan to run for national assembly failed spectacularly as election officers rejected his candidature in four constituencies. He is currently embroiled in legal battles to save himself.
In Islamabad, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court continued hearing petitions seeking the registration of a treason case against the former president over the 2007 emergency clampdown, which he declared in his dual capacity as army chief.
