Former Dictator Pervez Musharraf’s Corpse to be Dragged and Hanged in Islamabad’s Main Square for 3 Days: Pak Court

Guwahati, December 20, 2019:

In a bizarre judgment against the Army Chief-turned dictator Pervez Musharraf, a special court in Pakistan has sentenced that his corpse should be dragged to the parliament and hanged for three days in Islamabad’s main square.

The judgment that was made public on Thursday stated, “Law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad, Pakistan and be hanged for three days.”

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Meanwhile, the judgment irked the military and Chief military spokesman Asif Ghafoor. He termed it as against “humanity and religion”.

Ghafoor said that the Pakistan Army is not just an institution rather a family. “Pakistan Army is the armed forces of the people [and] are strengthened by the people’s support...We know how to defend the country and we also know how to defend the respect and dignity of the institution,” he added.

The army chief also mentioned that Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa met PM Imran Khan to discuss the situation arising post the verdict, and exchanged views to address the matter keeping in mind the “sentiments of the armed forces”.

Why Death Sentence?

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was sentenced to death in a “high treason case” by a special court in Pakistan, on Tuesday.

A three-member bench led by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth found him guilty of high treason for suspending the Constitution and imposing emergency rule in 2007. Two out of the three judges were in favour of capital punishment.

Pervez Musharraf was booked in the treason case in December 2013. He was accused of treason on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September of the same year. He led the Pakistan Army during the Kargil war and had a fallout with the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after he tried to remove him from office, which culminated in a military coup in 1999.

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Gen Musharraf is the first military ruler to ever stand trial in Pakistan for overruling the constitution. In November 2007, Gen Musharraf suspended the constitution and imposed emergency rule, sparking off mass protests. He resigned in 2008 to avoid the threat of impeachment.

The trial against the former president was initiated by Nawaz Sharif, after he was elected prime minister in 2013 and in March 2014, the former general was charged with high treason. Gen Musharraf travelled to Dubai in 2016, after a travel ban was lifted and he has refused to appear before the court, despite multiple orders.

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