Musharraf files petition challenging high treason case verdict

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday challenging the verdict by a special court in the high treason case against him for suspending the Constitution on November 3, 2007.

On December 17, the Islamabad-based special court found Musharraf guilty of high treason and handed him a death sentence, reports Dawn news.

The verdict marked the first time in Pakistan's history that a military chief was declared guilty of high treason and handed a death sentence.

The 86 page-long petition, filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique on Musharraf's behalf, named the federal government and others as respondents.

A full bench will hear the petition on January 9, 2020.

It highlighted that the "judgement contained a mix of anomalies and contradictory statements", adding that the special court "rapidly and hurriedly wrapped up the trial which was far from conclusion".

The petition also challenged the verdict's graphic paragraph 66 which read: "We direct the law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict (Musharraf) and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk (in front of the Parliament House), and be hanged for three days".

It added that the special court had "crossed all religious moral, civil and constitutional limits, while ruthlessly, irreligiously, unlawfully, unrealistically awarding a debilitating, humiliating, unprecedented and against the dignity of a person", Dawn news reported.

Earlier this month, Musharraf, who is currently abroad, had filed an application in the LHC, urging it to halt the special court from sentencing him in absentia.

He was sentenced three days later.