ISLAMABAD, DEC 17 – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday said the government will “review in detail” a special court’s decision to hand former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf a death sentence in the high treason case against him.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad she said: “We will review in detail, today’s verdict as well as yesterday’s,” adding that legal experts will analyse all legal and political aspects as well as the impact on national interests, after which a government statement will be presented to the media.
In response to a question about whether the government will bring Musharraf back to Pakistan, Awan said the government will assess the matter with its legal team. She added that she had just found out about the verdict.
Awan added that Prime Minister Imran Khan is returning from a trip tomorrow, after which he will himself look at the “relevant ground realities and legal framework”. Following this, a final decision will be taken.
When asked about the government’s request to stop the verdict against Musharraf, Awan said she could only comment on this after consulting the legal team.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said that for the first time the superiority of the Constitution was taking root in Pakistan.
“With this hopefully in the future, the tradition of breaking the Constitution will end,” he said, adding that if this verdict had been given 50 years ago, martial law would never have been imposed in the country and East Pakistan would never have been seperated.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tweeted: “Democracy is the best revenge. Jiye Bhutto.”
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said given the need of the time, it is necessary to bring the country together.
“What is the benefit of such verdicts which increase distances and divides and by which the country and institutions are divided?” he tweeted.
“I am constantly saying that there is a need for dialogue. Go towards a new deal. Showing someone as below you, is not in anyone’s interest. Have mercy on the country,” Chaudhry added.
