Islamabad: A special court on Wednesday rejected a plea from former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf seeking to dismiss a treason case against him.
The three-member bench headed by Justice Tahira Safdar also rejected a plea to postpone the hearing against Musharraf on health grounds.
The bench said the trial had started and could not be halted due to the illness or absence of the accused.
The court also stopped Musharraf’s lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar from giving arguments in the case. The bench said the court had forbidden him in line with the Supreme Court ruling.
The court also directed the Ministry of Interior to appoint a lawyer or a team of lawyers for defence of the former military ruler.
Earlier, Musharraf’s counsel Salman Safdar submitted before the court that the former military dictator was “fighting for his life”, adding that he was not physically or mentally capable of returning to the country.
Musharraf’s counsel admitted that he himself was embarrassed for repeatedly submitting requests to adjourn the case’s hearing.
He said his client was rapidly losing weight, adding that he was unable to walk and used a wheelchair.
Safdar asked for another chance so that Musharraf could appear in court. He said the former military dictator’s health has deteriorated.
Justice Safdar said the Supreme Court had given a verdict, to which the lawyer responded that he was aware of that and therefore requested that the plea be accepted on the basis of compassion. The bench of the special court asked the lawyer to read the Supreme Court verdict from April 1.
