News
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Govt submits course of action for initiating Musharraf’s trial* AG tells SC PM has ordered to constitute a special team of FIA senior officers to commence an inquiry in relation to acts of Musharraf on November 3, 2007
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Submitting the government’s reply on the course of action for the trial of Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the constitution, attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered constitution of a special investigative team of senior officers of the FIA to commence an inquiry and investigate the November 3, 2007 acts of the former military ruler.
In response to the court’s June 24 order, AGP Munir A Malik on Wednesday submitted the federal government’s response to specify the process and mechanism to be put in place to bring those people to justice who are found guilty of high treason. The government, through the AGP, has submitted, “Prime minister has directed the secretary interior to forthwith direct the director general FIA to constitute a special investigative team of senior officers to commence an inquiry and investigation in relation to the acts of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf of November 3, 2007 that may amount to high treason under Article 6 of the constitution and to finalise as expeditiously as possible the statement of case to be put up by the federal government before the special court to be constituted under the Criminal Law Amendment(Special Courts)Act,1976.”
The government stated that the law entrusts the investigation of the offence of high treason to the FIA. “However, in order to ensure expeditious completion of the inquiry and investigation, the prime minister is also considering the constitution of a commission to oversee and monitor the progress of the proceedings,” it added. Giving the outlines of the process, the reply also said that on the completion of the investigation by FIA, the federal government would file the requisite complaint under Section 5 of the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976 and take steps to constitute a special court in accordance with Section 4 of the said Act for the trial of the offence.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, will consider the government’s reply for initiation of legal proceedings against Musharraf today (Thursday). It must be noted that on June 24, Prime Minister Nawaz had announced in the National Assembly that in compliance with the directive of the Supreme Court Musharraf would be tried for treason.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk