Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that the former military dictator Pervez Musharraf will be tried for high treason for subverting the Constitution twice, setting the stage for a possible showdown with the country’s powerful Army.
Sharif made the announcement in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament less than three weeks after returning as Premier following his PMl-N party's victory in the landmark general elections.
Musharraf’s actions came under the purview of “high treason,” Sharif told Parliament. “Musharraf violated the constitution twice. He overthrew an elected Government in 1999 and put everything into jeopardy. He sacked judges and imprisoned them,” said Sharif.
The 69-year-old former army chief, currently under house arrest, should face trial in the Supreme Court and answer for his actions, Sharif said.
If convicted, Musharraf could face a possible death sentence or life imprisonment. Musharraf may become the first dictator in Pakistan's history to face trial for high treason in the country that has witnessed three military coups in its 66-year history. Musharraf had come to power in 1999 by deposing Sharif’s last government in a coup.
Referring to Musharraf’s decision to impose emergency rule in 2007, Sharif said, “The federal Government…firmly subscribes to the view that the holding in abeyance of the Constitution on November 3, 2007 constituted an act of high treason within the meaning of Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan.”
The Prime Minister is under oath to protect and defend the Constitution and "it is implicit in this oath that his government ensures that persons guilty of acts under Article 6 are brought to justice", he said.
Reading from a statement presented by Attorney General Munir Malik to the Supreme Court, Sharif said, “Notwithstanding the fact that the Prime Minister has borne the brunt of Musharraf's brazen coup, he wishes to assure both this august court and the people of Pakistan that he will act according to the highest standards of justice and follow the due process of law.”