Pakistan

Pakistan postpones Musharraf hearing

344235_Pervez-Musharraf

The Pakistani court session for the treason trial of former military ruler general Pervez Musharraf has been postponed to consider a medical report on his heart condition.

Judge Faisal Arab, who heads the three-member jury, said on Tuesday that the court adjourned the hearing until Wednesday to allow time for the assessment of the medical report by both defense and prosecution teams.

“We will give an opportunity to both sides to examine (the report) and then we will decide accordingly,” Arab said.

The 70-year-old former president was taken to a military cardiac hospital after suffering chest pains on his way to court on January 2.

Musharraf had been summoned to appear before the special tribunal in Islamabad in a high treason case, after failing to appear for two previous sessions due to security scares.

The special tribunal was formed to try Musharraf for imposing emergency rule in November 2007. He also faces several other criminal cases going back to the 1999-2008 tenure, including the murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, as well as restricting the judiciary.

A conviction ruling could mean death penalty or life behind bars for the ex-president.

The former general has slammed the treason case brought against him, saying it is politically motivated and his lawyers have challenged the authority of the tribunal.

Musharraf stepped down as president of Pakistan in August 2008, about six months after his allies lost parliamentary elections in February 2008 and the new government threatened to impeach him. A year later, he left the country.

In March 2013, he returned after nearly four years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai. Musharraf was placed under house arrest in April over the charges, though he was later granted bail.

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