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April 9th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
Updated
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has adjourned the treason case against the country’s former president Pervez Musharraf until April 15.
Lawyers are petitioning the country’s top court to have the 69-year-old retired general put on trial for treason for violating the constitution during his rule from 1999 to 2008.
Mr Musharraf returned to Pakistan last month from four years of self-imposed exile to stand in the May 11 general election, which will mark the first democratic transition of power in the country’s 66-year history.
Judge Jawad Khawaja adjourned the treason hearing to give the former president’s lawyers time to prepare a response, but rejected their plea to put the matter off until after the election to allow him time to campaign.
Judge Khawaja says the cases are simple and straightforward.
“We therefore consider it will be sufficient to meet the ends of justice if the cases are adjourned to April 15,” he said.
Mr Musharraf has been approved to stand as a candidate in the remote northern area of Chitral after being rejected in three other seats.
The former president says he returned home to “save” Pakistan.
But the retired general has had a muted homecoming and in addition to the treason allegations faces a host of other legal challenges.
He is on bail over the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and a Baluch rebel leader in 2006 and for sacking and arresting judges during emergency rule in 2007.
During his rule Mr Musharraf dismissed around 60 top judges including chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was held under house arrest.
Topics:
courts-and-trials,
government-and-politics,
pakistan,
asia
First posted
Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-09/pakistan-court-adjourns-musharraf-treason-case/4619490
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