Pak Court orders arrest of Pervez Musharraf in treason case

Islamabad, March 10: During the very first hearing of treason case against former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, a special Pakistan tribunal has ordered the government to arrest the former military ruler.

A three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Lahore High Court Chief Justice Yawar Ali and Balochistan High Court Justice Tahira Safdar, resumed the treason case against Musharraf after a gap of eight months.

The bench formed in 2013 is hearing the case of imposition of extra-constitutional emergency by Musharraf in November 2007.

Chief Justice Afridi remarked the court is ordering the arrest of Musharraf and seizure of his properties.

During the hearing, the special court sought mutual legal assistance agreement with UAE in the matter of arrest of the former president from Dubai.

The former army chief was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and denied all the charges.

On March 18, 2016, the former president left Pakistan for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the exit control list (ECL) on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A few months later, the special court declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his property owing to his absence.