Islamabad – Pakistan’s government plans to begin impeachment of a judge, who handed the death sentence to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, a top official said on Friday.
This was a move that has angered pro-democracy lawyers.
Justice Waqar Seth was the head of a three-judge tribunal that announced the verdict on treason charges emanating from Musharraf’s suspension of the constitution in 2007 after several years of trial.
It was the first time that a military dictator in Pakistan faced a radical decision by a court in a country that had been ruled by powerful generals for almost half of its existence.
Law Minister Farogh Naseem said that the government would file an appeal in the Supreme Court to overrule the decision and begin impeachment of the judge.
Musharraf took over in a bloodless coup by overthrowing the government of the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif n 1999.
He rose to prominence on the world stage after joining the U.S.-led war against Islamist militants in neighbouring Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. by al-Qaeda.
He again suspended the constitution in 2007 to purge the country’s judiciary to avert a possible ruling against a decision by the parliament to extend his rule for another term.
The ex-strongman was forced to step down in 2008 after a year of protests by political rivals and pro-democracy lawyers.
Sharif brought charges against Musharraf when he became prime minister for the third time after winning the national election in 2013.
