Postpone verdict in Musharraf treason case: Pak govt to court

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Monday requested the Islamabad High Court to stop a special court from announcing its verdict in a treason case against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

In its petition, Pakistan's foreign ministry requested that the verdict in the high treason case be held back until a new prosecution team is formed, Samaa TV reported.

A similar petition was filed by Musharraf separately on Saturday requesting the Lahore High Court to suspend the special court's reserved verdict which was heard on Monday.

The Lahore High Court has asked Musharraf's lawyer to present two-point statements on Tuesday and assist the court regarding the maintainability of the petition. The court instructed him to present his arguments on the following points: How can the LHC hear the petition if there are proceedings against Musharraf ongoing in the Supreme Court? and Musharraf is a resident of Islamabad - how is the petition maintainable in Lahore?

Musharraf's lawyer, Khwaja Ahmed Tariq Rahim said that since Musharraf is out of the country for his treatment he can't appear before the court.

He also contended that reserving the verdict was "unconstitutional and void".

The special court had reserved its verdict on November 19 and said that it will be announced on November 28.IANS