Mansoor Jafar Al Arabiya After several months of ambiguity surrounding the case against the former military dictator, a Pakistani court on Monday finally indicted General Pervez Musharraf on charges of committing high treason for unconstitutionally dismissing judges and keeping them under illegal detention. A defiant General Musharraf, who had been dodging trial on the pretext of suffering from some undefined cardiac ailment, unexpectedly appeared before the court and denied the charge, calling it baseless. He had been taking “refuge” inside an army-run modern coronary care hospital and dodging repeated orders from the court over the last seven months to appear in court and face the charges against him. In the previous hearing, the court finally ordered federal agencies to arrest him if he again refrained from appearing before the court. The court also dismissed an application filed by Musharraf's lawyers seeking permission for him to go to Dubai to see his elderly mother who was hospitalized in Sharjah for some serious pulmonary problems. The treason case is gaining worldwide attention for the precedent it may set on the balance of power between politicians and the military. The case is also being seen through the lens of the traditional military-political power tussle in the country. Musharraf's appearance in court on Monday seemed unlikely the previous night when one of his lawyers told the media that the former army chief had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) following an unexpected surge in his blood pressure. The statement was made by Rana Ejaz, a member of Musharraf's legal team who was barred from appearing in the special court hearing the treason trial for his “contemptuous conduct". Prior to that, Musharraf's legal team announced that they would boycott Monday's proceedings for what they called the prejudiced conduct of the trial. The boycott announcement strengthened the speculation that Musharraf would once again avoid a court appearance. Prior to Monday, Musharraf had appeared before the court only once in 35 hearings of the case. Apart from that, Musharraf's lawyers had constantly requested the court to exempt him from appearance in view of the serious threats to his life for his role in the war on terror and in victimizing Islamist elements in the country. On November 3, 2007, General Musharraf imposed an extra-constitutional emergency, dismissing all the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts in order to preempt any possible legal action against his unconstitutional rule as president of the country. Musharraf as chief of army staff took control of the country after a military coup on Oct. 12, 1999, when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dismissed him and appointed another general as army chief in his place. Musharraf is considered to be the main architect of the US-led NATO forces invasion of Afghanistan following 9/11 since he turned over control of four key Pakistani airbases to US forces which were used for launching nearly 60,000 aerial attacks inside Afghanistan. NATO forces were also allowed two main routes through Pakistan to supply arms and other logistical equipment. These supply routes are still used by NATO forces despite serious protests inside the country. His major role in the US-led war on terror earned him widespread unpopularity in the country's religious quarters and during the following years he survived four assassination attempts. He was finally forced to relinquish the presidency in August 2008 after the then army chief Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani refused to protect him against the threat of impeachment by Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf is accused of treason under Article 6 of Pakistan's constitution for suspending, subverting and abrogating the rule of law by imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of the superior courts. While denying the charge, the former president said: “Whatever I did, I did for the country and its people. I am sad that I am being called a traitor." He also claimed that he made Pakistan a respectable country during his tenure. “I honor this court and prosecution and I strongly believe in law. I don't have ego problems, and I have appeared in court 16 times this year in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” he said. Musharraf further stated: “I am being called a traitor. I have been chief of army staff for nine years and I have served this army for 45 years. I have fought two wars and this is ‘treason?'” “I am not a traitor. For me traitors are those who loot public money and empty the treasury,” he added. Security measures at the special court were beefed up in anticipation of Musharraf's appearance in court, in compliance with an order issued on March 14, demanding his presence – enforced or voluntary – in the dock. Islamabad police covered their bases: a four-member committee was formed to escort the former president to the court from the AFIC where he has been admitted since Jan. 2. Security passes were only issued to a select few and a police team was formed to arrest the retired general and bring him to court in the event that he refused to appear voluntarily. — Mansoor Jafar is editor of Al Arabiya Urdu based in Islamabad. Follow him on Twitter @mansoorjafar
