High treason case against me baseless, lawyer not being heard: Musharraf

Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who has been admitted to a hospital here due to serious health issues, has said that the high treason case lodged against him is "baseless" and asserted that justice was not being served as his lawyer was not being heard in the matter.

Speaking about his health, Musharraf, in a video message from Dubai's American Hospital, said, "I am very unwell. It has been like this since a while and I keep visiting the hospital."

As per medical reports, Musharraf is suffering from cardiac problem and having blood pressure issue. He was admitted to the hospital on Monday.

 

"My lawyer Salman Safdar is not being heard by the court. I have fought wars for Pakistan and served my country for 10 years," he was quoted by Geo News as saying.

The former military ruler expressed hope of getting justice in the case, asserting that the commission constituted in the high treason case should hear his version.

"As for me, the commission can come here, I can give them a statement. They can come and hear me, see my condition and then decide for themselves. When they return they can give their statement and my lawyer will be heard in the court too and then I hope I will get justice," Musharraf said.

Since 2016, Musharraf has been living in a self-imposed exile in Dubai for "seeking medical treatment" and has not returned to the country since. He is wanted by authorities in connection to the high treason case filed against him.

Last month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped the special court from announcing the verdict in the matter. The order came before a special court was scheduled to announce the verdict on the basis of the available record.

The IHC was hearing a petition filed by the Pakistan government seeking an adjournment of the verdict's announcement. A similar petition was also filed by Musharraf in the Lahore High Court.

The special court, had on November 19, concluded the trial proceedings in the high treason case against Musharraf for declaring a state emergency on November 3, 2007. The trial of the former leader has been pending since December 2013 when he was booked in the case.

Musharraf 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 court directives issued to the Federal Investigation Agency to arrest him.