Treason, Musharraf and Pakistan

[Vikrant]

LONDON: Lawyers for former president Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that a treason charge levied against him was politically motivated and that he would face a “show trial”, urging the United Nations to intervene.
The legal team also called on the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia to denounce Musharraf’s trial to “repay their debt” for his support in the US-led “war on terror” in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Musharraf overthrew the government of current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and ruled until 2008. His lawyers claim Sharif is using the treason case to get revenge.
The 70-year-old ex-commando, who is due to appear before a special court on December 24, is the first former military dictator in Pakistan’s history to face trial for treason.
Musharraf’s barrister Steven Kay told a press conference in London the hearing would be a “stage-managed show trial” with the judges picked by political opponents who are now in power.
“What we have here is a case that has started with the hand-picking of judges by the politicians – or a politician, the prime minister – in defiance of any person’s right to a trial that is fair,” Kay told reporters.
The trial is an “egregious example of political interference,” he said.
Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in March and was placed under house arrest.
The treason accusation relates to his decision in 2007 to impose emergency rule shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier, while he was still army chief.
Kay said the judges selected for the trial would be unable to act impartially – particularly since one of them, Faisal Arab, was sacked by Musharraf’s government.
“If you’ve been affected by what took place and then you judge it, there is a conflict of interest because you have an interest in getting retribution,” Kay told reporters.
The legal team has written to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay and UN special rapporteurs calling for the international body to “urgently intervene and ensure that the former president is not subjected to politically motivated charges”.
Barrister Toby Cadman called on Musharraf’s allies in the “war on terror” to support him, insisting this did not amount to interference in Pakistani justice.
“What is important is to ensure that voices of concern are expressed in terms of the charges which the former president faces, and recognition of his contribution to the ‘war on terror’,” Cadman said.
- See more at: TPN - The Pakistani Newspaper

 

[waltky]

Susie meets with Pakistan Poobah...

Rice Meets With Sharif in Islamabad
August 30, 2015 - U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice is in Pakistan to meet with the prime minister and other top officials to discuss a range of topics, "particularly terrorist and militant attacks emanating from Pakistani soil," according to the U.S. State Department.

After Rice met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Sunday in Islamabad, the Pakistani leader's office said little about the content of the talks, noting that they focused on matters of bilateral interest and the future of Pakistan-U.S. relations. Rice has also held delegation-level talks with Mr. Sharif's advisor on national security and foreign policy, Sartaj Aziz, and planned to meet with Pakistan's military chief General Raheel Sharif. Ahead of Sunday's talks the U.S. State Department said Rice was likely to discuss Pakistan's role in Afghanistan's effort to negotiate peace with the Taliban and the recent rise in tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at the PM House, Islamabad, Pakistan

VOA's Ayaz Gul reports Pakistani officials said they would emphasize during meetings with Rice that direct meetings between the Kabul government and the Taliban must resume quickly. Rice's talks also are believed to involve the agenda for an expected visit to Washington by Sharif in late October. Pakistani officials have spoken of Sharif's travel plans privately, but there has been no announcement by the U.S. side.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz shake hand with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice in Islamabad

Local news reports speculated that the visit was arranged in response to the tensions with India following violent incidents in the Kashmir region, which is claimed by both countries. But the State Department said the visit had been planned for weeks and was unrelated to that situation. It said Rice had always planned to stop in Islamabad after two days of high-level talks in Beijing ahead of next month's White House meetings between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Rice Meets With Sharif in Islamabad

See also:

Musharraf could be back as head of new Pak party
Aug 30, 2015 - Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf could soon stage a political comeback as head of a new party combining all factions of the Muslim League except the ruling PML-N of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ahead of local body elections.

Efforts have been intensified to form the party - United Muslim League - after uniting all factions of Muslim League except Sharif's PML-N. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain yesterday held a meeting with 72-year-old Musharraf, head of All Pakistan Muslim League at his residence in Karachi and agreed to merge all factions except PML-N to form a "new look party". "I met with General Musharraf, PML-Functional chief Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi and former Sindh chief minister Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, who was once a close aide of Sharif. They all are unanimous on formation of the United Muslim League," Hussain told reporters.

He said efforts are also on to take all those Muslim League leaders and workers on board who are not happy with the policies of the Sharif brothers - Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif. The new party is likely to be formed before local body elections scheduled to be held by the end of the year. There has been a feeling in all Muslim League factions except PML-N, that they should be united and form a new political force to challenge the PML-N and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. They believe that under Musharraf's leadership all the Muslim League factions can perform well.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan in 2013 after over four years in self-exile but faces a slew of legal cases including the high profile treason case under Article 6 of the Constitution for imposing emergency in the country in 2007, the first army chief to face such a prosecution. He has also been charged in the judges' detention case.

Musharraf could be back as head of new Pak party - The Times of India

 

[Mr. H.]

Susie meets with Pakistan Poobah...

Rice Meets With Sharif in Islamabad
August 30, 2015 - U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice is in Pakistan to meet with the prime minister and other top officials to discuss a range of topics, "particularly terrorist and militant attacks emanating from Pakistani soil," according to the U.S. State Department.

After Rice met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Sunday in Islamabad, the Pakistani leader's office said little about the content of the talks, noting that they focused on matters of bilateral interest and the future of Pakistan-U.S. relations. Rice has also held delegation-level talks with Mr. Sharif's advisor on national security and foreign policy, Sartaj Aziz, and planned to meet with Pakistan's military chief General Raheel Sharif. Ahead of Sunday's talks the U.S. State Department said Rice was likely to discuss Pakistan's role in Afghanistan's effort to negotiate peace with the Taliban and the recent rise in tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at the PM House, Islamabad, Pakistan

VOA's Ayaz Gul reports Pakistani officials said they would emphasize during meetings with Rice that direct meetings between the Kabul government and the Taliban must resume quickly. Rice's talks also are believed to involve the agenda for an expected visit to Washington by Sharif in late October. Pakistani officials have spoken of Sharif's travel plans privately, but there has been no announcement by the U.S. side.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz shake hand with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice in Islamabad

Local news reports speculated that the visit was arranged in response to the tensions with India following violent incidents in the Kashmir region, which is claimed by both countries. But the State Department said the visit had been planned for weeks and was unrelated to that situation. It said Rice had always planned to stop in Islamabad after two days of high-level talks in Beijing ahead of next month's White House meetings between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Rice Meets With Sharif in Islamabad

See also:

Musharraf could be back as head of new Pak party
Aug 30, 2015 - Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf could soon stage a political comeback as head of a new party combining all factions of the Muslim League except the ruling PML-N of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ahead of local body elections.

Efforts have been intensified to form the party - United Muslim League - after uniting all factions of Muslim League except Sharif's PML-N. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain yesterday held a meeting with 72-year-old Musharraf, head of All Pakistan Muslim League at his residence in Karachi and agreed to merge all factions except PML-N to form a "new look party". "I met with General Musharraf, PML-Functional chief Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi and former Sindh chief minister Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, who was once a close aide of Sharif. They all are unanimous on formation of the United Muslim League," Hussain told reporters.

He said efforts are also on to take all those Muslim League leaders and workers on board who are not happy with the policies of the Sharif brothers - Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif. The new party is likely to be formed before local body elections scheduled to be held by the end of the year. There has been a feeling in all Muslim League factions except PML-N, that they should be united and form a new political force to challenge the PML-N and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. They believe that under Musharraf's leadership all the Muslim League factions can perform well.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan in 2013 after over four years in self-exile but faces a slew of legal cases including the high profile treason case under Article 6 of the Constitution for imposing emergency in the country in 2007, the first army chief to face such a prosecution. He has also been charged in the judges' detention case.

Musharraf could be back as head of new Pak party - The Times of India

Where da hell you been, boy.

I always liked Mushy. Reminds me a bit of Dustin Hoffman

 

[Sally]

LONDON: Lawyers for former president Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that a treason charge levied against him was politically motivated and that he would face a “show trial”, urging the United Nations to intervene.
The legal team also called on the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia to denounce Musharraf’s trial to “repay their debt” for his support in the US-led “war on terror” in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Musharraf overthrew the government of current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and ruled until 2008. His lawyers claim Sharif is using the treason case to get revenge.
The 70-year-old ex-commando, who is due to appear before a special court on December 24, is the first former military dictator in Pakistan’s history to face trial for treason.
Musharraf’s barrister Steven Kay told a press conference in London the hearing would be a “stage-managed show trial” with the judges picked by political opponents who are now in power.
“What we have here is a case that has started with the hand-picking of judges by the politicians – or a politician, the prime minister – in defiance of any person’s right to a trial that is fair,” Kay told reporters.
The trial is an “egregious example of political interference,” he said.
Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in March and was placed under house arrest.
The treason accusation relates to his decision in 2007 to impose emergency rule shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier, while he was still army chief.
Kay said the judges selected for the trial would be unable to act impartially – particularly since one of them, Faisal Arab, was sacked by Musharraf’s government.
“If you’ve been affected by what took place and then you judge it, there is a conflict of interest because you have an interest in getting retribution,” Kay told reporters.
The legal team has written to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay and UN special rapporteurs calling for the international body to “urgently intervene and ensure that the former president is not subjected to politically motivated charges”.
Barrister Toby Cadman called on Musharraf’s allies in the “war on terror” to support him, insisting this did not amount to interference in Pakistani justice.
“What is important is to ensure that voices of concern are expressed in terms of the charges which the former president faces, and recognition of his contribution to the ‘war on terror’,” Cadman said.
- See more at: TPN - The Pakistani Newspaper

If only Benazir Bhutto hadn't been assassinated, there would be no uproar about a trial for Musharrat There was at one time a Muslim woman from a southern state in India posting whose idol was Musharrat She couldn't wait for him to return and take over again in Pakistan. I am not into Pakistani politics; however, since this particular poster wanted to see 850 million Hindus eradicated like rats so the Muslims could rule India once again, in my mind this Musharrat couldn't be someone to idolize.