DEATH SENTENCE FOR PAKISTANI FORMER PRESIDENT CANCELLED

The death sentence given to the former Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf has been cancelled.

Pervez Musharraf, seized power in a military coup in 1999. And served as President of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008.

This came after a high court in Pakistan overturned the death sentence handed to the former President and military ruler, Pervez Musharraf.

The Lahore’s High Court on Monday dismissed it as “unconstitutional.

Reportngr.com learnt that the 76-year-old former Pakistani president has been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai since 2016.

Following the judgement, Pervez Musharraf is now a free man. And he can freely return to Pakistan.

Read also: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may loose HRH TITLES

Former president Pervez Musharraf was last month sentenced to death in absentia for high treason following a six-year legal case.

Meanwhile, a three-member special court had convicted Musharraf of violating the constitution by unlawfully declaring emergency rule while he was in power in the 2000s.

Pervez seized power in a military coup in 1999. He ruled Pakistan as President between 2001 and 2008.

However, in 2007, he declared a state of emergency and suspended Pakistan’s constitution.

Thereafter, he replaced the chief judge and blacked out independent TV outlets.

But Pervez said that he did so to stabilize the country and to fight rising Islamist extremism.

This action drew strong criticism from the United States and democracy advocates.

And Pakistanis openly called for his removal.

Therefore, under pressure from the West, Musharraf later lifted the state of emergency and called elections in which his party failed badly.

Nevertheless, he stepped down in August 2008 after the governing coalition began taking steps to impeach him.

With the impending danger, Pervez went to exile. But returned to Pakistan in 2013 with the aim of running in the country’s national elections.

But his plans leaked as he became entangled in a web of court cases relating to his time in power.

Read also: shatta bandle performs with optional king

He was however,  indicted in 2014 on a total of five charges.

The charges included three counts of subverting, suspending and changing the country’s constitution, firing Pakistan’s chief justice, and imposing emergency rule.

Meanwhile that was the first time in Pakistani history that an army chief has been tried and found guilty of treason.

Under Pakistan’s constitution, high treason is a crime that carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Pervez Musharraf has been living in Dubai since 2016. After Pakistan’s Supreme Court lifted a travel ban allowing him to leave the country to seek medical treatment.

Nevertheless, from his hospital bed in Dubai last month, Musharraf said in a video statement that he was innocent and the treason case was “baseless.”

Source: CNN.COM