Musharraf summoned by Supreme Court over PCO judges’ case

JULY 22 - The Supreme Court on Wednesday has summoned former President Pervez Musharraf to explain his decision to impose emergency and firing of the judges in 2007.

The court notice allows Musharraf to send a lawyer in his place.

Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa confirmed the court order. He said the federal government would not defend the actions taken by Musharraf on Nov. 3, 2007, when faced with growing challenges to his rule, he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and dismissed the judges.

Musharraf is currently staying in London with his family and is in touch with attorneys Mian Sharifuddin Pirzada and Malik Qayyum in this matter.

The next hearing in the case is on July 29 and it is expected that Musharraf's attorney(s) will represent him in the hearing.

Wasi Zafar, a law minister during Musharraf's rule, said after the announcement, that the retired general could appear before the Supreme Court either through his lawyer or in person."If he does not do it, the court can initiate proceedings against him in his absence," he said.

The former army chief seized power in a 1999 military coup. In early 2007, Musharraf dismissed the Supreme Court's chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. That triggered mass protests led by lawyers that damaged Musharraf's popularity.

Meanwhile, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke who is in Islamabad today said told reporters that President Pervez Musharraf is now history and that the US will not come to defend him, AP reported today..

Talking to media in the capital, Holbrooke termed Pervez Musharraf’s case as Pakistan’s internal issue and added that the US respects Pakistan’s judiciary and free press.

Former Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum said on Wednesday that he was ready to defend former president Gen (retd.) Pervez Musharraf at the Supreme Court if he was asked to do so. He was talking to reporters at the Supreme Court premises soon after the issuance of notice to Musharraf.

Qayyum termed the decision of the apex court highly appreciable and according to the law and the Constitution.He said that the Supreme Court had taken a good step to give a chance to Pervez Musharraf to explain his position about the imposition of emergency in the country.

To a question, Qayyum said that there was no need for Musharraf to appear in person, adding that only his counsel should appear in the case. If he was asked he would definitely appear in the case and defend the former president, Qayyum said.