Pakistan: Musharraf treason trial: Raza Rabbani, Zahid Khan receive threatening letters

The Express Tribune

Senator Raza Rabbani and Senator Zahid Khan have received threatening letters, suggestive of serious consequences for demanding a treason trial against former army chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Express News reported on Thursday. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan made this revelation today and speculated that the letters were written by a Musharraf supporter.

Both letters were received through National Assembly and Senate secretariats and both were hand written. Aitzaz said copies of these letters will be provided to relevant authorities and that he will ask for a thorough investigation into the matter.

In April this year, Rabbani and Khan – along with other senators – had called for Musharraf to be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution for abrogating the Constitution and derailing democracy. Raza Rabbani said that he had received the first letter ten days ago, threatening Rabbani that if he didn’t review his stance on Article 6, he could be assassinated or kidnapped.

In second letter, the names of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Zahid Khan was also included. Zahid Khan said that his party workers and leadership had rendered supreme scarifies in the past and always opposed every dictatorship regime.

He said that they would fully support the government in implementation of Article 6 and bring the trial to its logical end. The current Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had recently requested the Supreme Court to constitute a “special court” to try Musharraf for high treason for imposing emergency rule in the country in November 2007. Government to take action against threats

The government assured on Thursday to initiate serious action on the threatening letters.

Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq assured: “I will take up the matter with the prime minister seeking his indulgence to appoint a bold and honest officer who investigate the matter without any pressure.”

“It is a very serious matter and we need to immediately identify those behind this move and bring them to justice,” he said, responding to a point of order raised by the leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan. Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari called for a report be presented on the matter be to the House next week so it could proceed further in the light of finding of its investigation. Nayyar Bukhari observed the interior minister be asked to proceed on the matter in accordance with the law and inform the house what action the government is taking to ensue security and liberty of the senators.

Article 6 of the 1973 Constitution

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1) Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason. (2) Any person aiding or abetting [or collaborating] the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason. (2A) An act of high treason mentioned in clause (1) or clause (2) shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court. (3) [Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason.