Pakistan: Terrorists planning to kill judges and Musharraf’s lawyers, court told

A lawyer representing former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in the high treason case expressed reservations on Wednesday over poor security arrangements in and around the Special Court set up at the National Library auditorium and warned judges that they might be attacked by terrorists.

Citing Monday’s terrorist attack on the district courts in Islamabad in which an additional district and sessions judge and 10 other people were killed, Rana Ijaz said: “I have received some information that terrorists are planning to assassinate the honourable judges (of the Special Court), two defence lawyers and a prosecutor.”

The claim annoyed the judges and Justice Faisal Arab, who heads the three-judge court, said: “We cannot sit at home or overlook our responsibilities because of threats to our lives. We are also conscious of the security aspects and on Tuesday held a meeting with the interior secretary, the chief commissioner and the inspector general of Islamabad police.”

Another defence lawyer contended that the court could issue directives and it was the responsibility of the government to provide fool-proof security arrangements. He said the federal government was a party in the high treason case and the defence lawyers had no faith in official security arrangements after the March 3 incident.

Ahmed Raza Kasuri, the counsel for Gen Musharraf, claimed that the defence lawyers had received threats from the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. He read out a letter which, according to him, was addressed to lead defence counsel Sharifuddin Pirzada, him and Anwar Mansoor Khan.

The letter in Urdu says: “Janab-i-Aali, Aap teeno say iltimas hai keh aap log Musharraf ke case say alag ho jaen” (You three are requested to dissociate yourselves from Musharraf’s case). Senders of the letter identified themselves as “people of South and North Wazirstan Agency” and warned the three defence lawyers that if they did not act upon the suggestion, they would be beheaded. The letter alleged that Gen Musharraf had handed over hundreds of Muslims to the United States and come back to rule the country again. Being a traitor Musharraf should be hanged, it added.

The defence lawyers said that because of the threats it was not possible for them to continue their assignment.

The court told them that it would issue on Friday its verdict on their applications challenging the establishment of the Special Court and appointment of Akram Sheikh as head of prosecution team.

The counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing to March 12.

But Mr Sheikh reminded the court that since it had already summoned Gen Musharraf on March 11 for indictment, the date of the hearing could not be changed. Referring to their application seeking transfer of the treason trial to a safe location, the defence counsel said the National Library auditorium was not a secure place. They again requested the court to allow Gen Musharraf’s medical treatment abroad. The court had turned down a similar request on Feb 21. The counsel contended that the court had rejected the previous request without properly hearing it. “The matter in hand needs to be properly heard in the larger interest of justice,” the fresh application said.

Gen Musharraf had sought his cardiac treatment in the United States.