Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military ruler, pleaded not guilty to treason on Monday after being formally indicted by a special court in Islamabad, the capital, according to lawyers in the case.
The indictment marks a turning point for Pakistan, where the military has long dominated the civilian leadership and no military ruler has ever been tried for abuse of power.
As the formal charges were read out, Mr. Musharraf stood in a defiant stance and pleaded not guilty.
“I fought two wars for the country,” he said. “I gave 44 years of my life to Pakistan’s army. The country was nearing default in 1999 when I assumed power, but I restored the country’s honor. I regret that despite all this I am being called a traitor.”
Mr. Musharraf is accused of subverting Pakistan’s Constitution in 2007, when he imposed emergency rule and fired high-ranking judicial officials in an attempt to maintain his grip on power. He resigned under threat of impeachment in 2008 and left the country.
He returned to Pakistan in March 2013 to revive his political career, but instead found himself ensnared in a phalanx of court cases stemming from his time in power. The treason charge is the most serious one Mr. Musharraf faces; if convicted, he could be sentenced to death.
Proceedings in the case began last December, but Mr. Musharraf’s appearance Monday was only his second in 37 hearings. His lawyers have cited security and health concerns for past absences.
On Jan. 2, Mr. Musharraf was on his way to court but went instead to a military hospital in the neighboring garrison city of Rawalpindi, after complaining of heart trouble. Since then, the justices on the panel hearing the case have expressed their unhappiness with Mr. Musharraf’s continuing absence. The panel, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Musharraf that would have gone into effect had he failed to attend the hearing Monday.
Late Sunday night, Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said he had been admitted to intensive care at the military hospital, suggesting that he might again fail to appear. But on Monday morning, a contingent of Islamabad police officers arrived at the hospital. Mr. Musharraf, for whom arrest would have been a deeply humiliating possibility, agreed to go to Islamabad.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the proceedings Monday. At least 2,100 police officers and paramilitary troops stood guard on the route from the military hospital in Rawalpindi to the court in Islamabad.
Muhammad Farogh Naseem, a lawyer for Mr. Musharraf, urged the court to allow him to travel to the United Arab Emirates to visit his mother, who he said was in critical condition in a hospital there. Mr. Naseem also asked that Mr. Musharraf be allowed to go to the United States, where he would prefer to receive his medical treatment. Justice Arab said the court would rule on those requests later Monday.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Pakistan’s Former Ruler Pleads Not Guilty to Treason
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military ruler, pleaded not guilty to treason on Monday after being formally indicted by a special court in Islamabad, the capital, according to lawyers in the case.
The indictment marks a turning point for Pakistan, where the military has long dominated the civilian leadership and no military ruler has ever been tried for abuse of power.
As the formal charges were read out, Mr. Musharraf stood in a defiant stance and pleaded not guilty.
“I fought two wars for the country,” he said. “I gave 44 years of my life to Pakistan’s army. The country was nearing default in 1999 when I assumed power, but I restored the country’s honor. I regret that despite all this I am being called a traitor.”
Mr. Musharraf is accused of subverting Pakistan’s Constitution in 2007, when he imposed emergency rule and fired high-ranking judicial officials in an attempt to maintain his grip on power. He resigned under threat of impeachment in 2008 and left the country.
He returned to Pakistan in March 2013 to revive his political career, but instead found himself ensnared in a phalanx of court cases stemming from his time in power. The treason charge is the most serious one Mr. Musharraf faces; if convicted, he could be sentenced to death.
Proceedings in the case began last December, but Mr. Musharraf’s appearance Monday was only his second in 37 hearings. His lawyers have cited security and health concerns for past absences.
On Jan. 2, Mr. Musharraf was on his way to court but went instead to a military hospital in the neighboring garrison city of Rawalpindi, after complaining of heart trouble. Since then, the justices on the panel hearing the case have expressed their unhappiness with Mr. Musharraf’s continuing absence. The panel, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Musharraf that would have gone into effect had he failed to attend the hearing Monday.
Late Sunday night, Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said he had been admitted to intensive care at the military hospital, suggesting that he might again fail to appear. But on Monday morning, a contingent of Islamabad police officers arrived at the hospital. Mr. Musharraf, for whom arrest would have been a deeply humiliating possibility, agreed to go to Islamabad.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the proceedings Monday. At least 2,100 police officers and paramilitary troops stood guard on the route from the military hospital in Rawalpindi to the court in Islamabad.
Muhammad Farogh Naseem, a lawyer for Mr. Musharraf, urged the court to allow him to travel to the United Arab Emirates to visit his mother, who he said was in critical condition in a hospital there. Mr. Naseem also asked that Mr. Musharraf be allowed to go to the United States, where he would prefer to receive his medical treatment. Justice Arab said the court would rule on those requests later Monday.
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