Dubai: Former Pakistan president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has once again got relief from the court as the hearing for a treason case against him has been postponed due to his poor health.
A special court accepted General Musharraf’s request on Thursday to postpone the hearing till June 12 . The hearing was adjourned after Musharraf’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar told the court that his client could not travel to Pakistan from Dubai to attend the hearing due to his medical condition.
The counsel informed the bench that Musharraf was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan Wednesday (May 1) morning to attend the trial, but could not due to his illness.
A spokesperson of the General Musharraf in Dubai told Gulf News that Musharraf did go to the hospital on April 30 and May 1 for his medical checkup as he was not feeling well. However, the doctors advised him not travel due to his poor health condition.
“He is ashamed and apologetic for not being able to reach [in time]. He is unable to walk,” the counsel said.
The counsel then asked the court to postpone the hearing until after Ramadan.
“In the past two years Musharraf has been hospitalised at least 40 times,” Barrister Safdar said.
In line with the Supreme Court's directive, the trial court is scheduled to record Musharraf’s statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code to complete the treason trial.
The Supreme Court last month had observed that the special court should announce a decision after hearing the prosecution as the suspect would lose his right to defend if he failed to appear before the court on May 2 (today).
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president's imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.
A special court had indicted Musharraf for high treason in March 2014. Musharraf left for Dubai in 2016 to "seek medical treatment" and has not returned since.
