'Disappointed' Musharraf to respond to death sentence verdict after consulting legal team

Former president Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday expressed his disappointment over a special court’s decision to hand him the death sentence in a high treason case against him.

Sources said the former military ruler, who is in Dubai and said to be in a critical condition, was "disappointed" with the special court’s decision.

Local leaders of his political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), also expressed their disappointment at the development.

“Musharraf’s health is in a critical state,” an APML leader was quoted as saying. He added the former president will respond after consulting his lawyers.

Earlier today, the special court, in its short order, said that it had analysed complaints, records, arguments and facts in the case for three months. 

The court said it found Musharraf guilty of high treason according to Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan for imposing a state of emergency on November 03, 2007. 

High treason case

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against Musharraf over the former dictator's imposition of an extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

The former army chief was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court. He had rejected all the charges.

On March 18, 2016, the former president had left Pakistan for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the Exit Control List on the orders of the Supreme Court.

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

Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on the orders of the apex court.

The head of the prosecution appointed by the PML-N, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, had last year tendered his resignation. In his resignation letter, sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh had expressed his inability to proceed with the case considering the change of government at the centre.