Court sentences former president to death over treason

A special court on Tuesday sentenced a former president to death after finding him guilty of treason charges. The former president who has been in detention in the past six years, was prosecuted for overthrowing a constitutional democratic government in a coup.

National Daily learned that the former President of Pakistani, Pervez Musharraf, was sentenced to death at a special court hearing in Islamabad.

Reports indicated that the judgement was announced on Tuesday by a three-member bench of the special court led by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad.

The three-member court sentenced the former leader over a high treason charge that has been pending since 2013.

The charge relates to Gen Musharraf’s suspension of the constitution in 2007, when he imposed emergency rule in a move intended to extend his tenure.

Gen Musharraf seized power in a military coup in 1999 and served as the country’s president from 2001 to 2008.

He is currently in Dubai after being allowed to leave the country for medical treatment in 2016.

Gen Musharraf is the first military ruler to ever stand trial in Pakistan for overruling the constitution.