Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Tuesday said that the special court’s decision to hand former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf a death sentence in the high treason case against him is a ‘historic’ verdict.
During a conversation with reporters in Ghotki, Bilawal said, “We are hopeful that now, after this democratic verdict, our courts will continue to issue democratic rulings. In the past, our institutions always stood with non-democratic forces. After this verdict, we can hope that our courts will side with justice and democracy for all days to come.”
When a reporter asked if the politicians who stood by Musharraf when he imposed martial law in the country should receive punishment as well, the PPP chief said, “There is a lot of debate as to the scope of the treason law and whether it should [have included] the 1999 incident [coup] or the 2007 incident. But we should talk about what is in front of us […] It is a historic decision.”
The PPP chief said that the party will ‘read carefully’ the detailed verdict once it is issued. He lamented that several cases, including that of the murder of his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, were still pending in courts and demanded that they be picked up as well.
Bilawal hailed the bails granted to PPP leadership, including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Khursheed Shah and Agha Siraj Durrani. “All the players of PPP are out now, we will struggle together and this government will go home soon,” he declared.
In a separate statement, PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan said that Pervez Musharraf had violated the constitution several times.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal said that martial law would have never been imposed if decision like this had been announced 50 years ago.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said the ruling of special court in Pervez Musharraf high treason case will ensure the supremacy of the constitution and strengthen the democracy in Pakistan.
In a statement issued from Mansoora on Tuesday, Sirajul Haq said, “Indeed it is a great decision in 72-year history of the country. The verdict will have far reaching impact on the future politics of Pakistan. It will strengthen people’s trust in the country’s judicial system.” JI deputy chief Liaqat Baloch demanded that the government immediately take measures to ensure presence of Pervez Musharraf in the country. He said judiciary earned more respect in the eyes of the public and now it is responsibility of the parliament to take step for the supremacy of the constitution and protection of democracy in the country.
