Pakistani court sentences ex-military ruler Musharraf to death

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - A special court in Islamabad on Tuesday slapped Pakistan's former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf with the death sentence.

A three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, delivered the verdict in the high treason case.

In March 2014, Musharraf was charged with high treason for implementing emergency rule and suspending the Constitution in 2007.

In August 2017, he was declared an "absconder" by Pakistan's anti-terrorism court in the verdict on the 2007 murder of Benazir Bhutto, a two-time prime minister.

The court, in its short order Tuesday, said after analyzing complaints, records, arguments, and facts in the case for three months, it found Musharraf guilty of high treason according to Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

It was a majority verdict, with two of the three judges making the decision against Musharraf.

Musharraf -- a former four-star general -- ran the country as president from 2001 until tendering his resignation, to avoid impeachment, in 2008.