Hearing of Musharraf’s extradition, trial pleas put off until February 24

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court has deferred the hearing of two identical petitions seeking the extradition and trial of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on high treason charges until February 24.

The judge had to postpone the hearing as the counsels for the petitioners and the respondent did not appear before the court, the Daily Times reported.

On the previous hearing, the judge had directed the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) to personally appear before the court after the two petitioners levelled 15 allegations against Musharraf.

They submitted that the former military dictator had dissolved an elected parliament in Pakistan, manhandled lawyers and booked several of them on false charges for protesting against his November 3, 2007 acts.

They also alleged that Musharraf had killed thousands of seminary students during the Jamia Hafsa operation in Islamabad, compelled nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan to accept a false charge of selling nuclear technology, ordered the killing of Nawab Muhammad Akbar Khan Bugti and was also involved in the Karsaz incident in Karachi.

The petitioners’ counsel submitted that Musharraf had joined the United States in its war against terror after the 9/11 without the nation’s consent and also handed over innocent citizens to America. Illmuddin, one of the petitioners, alleged that the retired general had also hatched a plot to kill former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The petitioners requested the court to direct the federal government to lodge a case against Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution, and also sought his extradition and the issuance of red warrants against him. (ANI)