Pakistan: Government moves Islamabad High Court against verdict announcement in treason case against Musharraf

Pakistan government on Monday filed a plea in Islamabad High Court seeking an adjournment of verdict announcement in the High Treason case against former President General Pervez Musharraf.

A special court on November 19 concluded the trial proceedings in the high treason case against Musharraf for declaring a state emergency on November 3, 2007. It also ruled out that the verdict would be announced on November 28 (Thursday) on the basis of the available record, dawn reported.

On Saturday, Musharraf approached the Lahore High Court against the verdict announcement.

Musharraf has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court against the special court for reserving judgment in the treason case, Dawn reported.

Musharraf's counsel Khwaja Ahmed Tariq Rahim approached the high court on his client's behalf, contending that the reserving of the verdict on November 19 was 'unconstitutional and void.'

The high treason trial of the former leader has been pending since December 2013 when he was booked in the case.

He was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former president lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016 "to seek medical treatment."

The retired general was that year declared an absconder as he failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons and the court directive issued to the FIA to arrest him.