Pak court stops special tribunal from announcing verdict in Musharraf treason case on Thursday

A top Pakistani court on Wednesday stopped a special tribunal from announcing its verdict in the high treason case against General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Thursday, in a temporary relief to the former military dictator who has been declared a "proclaimed offender".

The special tribunal on November 19 concluded the trial proceedings in the case against 76-year-old Musharraf for declaring a state of emergency on November 3, 2007 and for subverting the Constitution. It had ruled that a verdict in the case would be announced on November 28.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday stopped the special tribunal from issuing the ruling on Thursday in the high treason case against Musharraf, Dawn News reported. Musharraf, who left the country in May 2016 for medical treatment has not returned.

Musharraf, who is living in Dubai in self-exile, also challenged the special court's decision in the Lahore High Court on Saturday and sought suspension of his trial in absentia. His lawyer contended that the reserving of the verdict on November 19 was "unconstitutional and void".

"For reasons to be recorded later, we allow writ petition (...) filed by the Ministry of Interior," a three-member IHC bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah said in its brief order on Wednesday, setting aside the special court's decision to reserve its judgement in the case.