Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf got a complete briefing from prominent lawyer Malik Qayyum about Wednesdays proceedings in the Supreme Court and the issuance of notice to him to explain his position vis-a-vis his Nov 3, 2007 imposition of state of emergency and proclamation of the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). Musharraf phoned me Wednesday after the 14-member apex court bench adjourned the hearing, his former Attorney General Malik Qayyum confirmed to this correspondent. “I just briefed him in detail on the court proceedings,” he said adding that he did not know Musharraf's plan to respond to the court notice. Qayyum thought that the former president would consult constitutional expert Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, who was also in London these days. Pirzada has been a close but informal legal advisor of Musharraf when the latter was in power. At times, he has been representing him in superior courts. Qayyum pointed out that Musharraf has not been made a party in the present petitions. He withheld his reaction on the implications of the notice issued by the Supreme Court and said it was for the apex court to decide. However, there is a general impression among Musharraf sympathizers that he would stay away from the court, as the notice did not make it mandatory for him to appear before the court in person or through a counsel to present his side of the story. They say that if Musharraf once involved himself in defending his Nov. 3 action in a court of law, a Pandora's box would open and there would be no end to litany of charges against him. These Musharraf sympathizers said that it was unlikely that Musharraf would come back to Pakistan in the near future especially after he has bought an apartment in London. With the passage of time, it is becoming very difficult for the former president to live in Pakistan in peace. His personal security will also remain a big issue in Pakistan, one Musharraf sympathizer said.
