Court rejects plea seeking Pervez Musharraf's trial on treason charge

Pakistan's Sindh high court today dismissed a Constitutional petition seeking the trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on treason charges for imposing emergency in 2007 and asked the petitioner to approach the apex court which is looking into the same case.

The petition filed by Maulvi Iqbal Haider in the Sindh high court had sought the trail of Musharraf along with his two aides -- noted lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada and former attorney general Malik Muhammed Qayyum.

The court had earlier reserved its ruling two weeks ago after it completed the hearing of the case.

While dismissing the plea, the high court said the same matter has come up for hearing in the Supreme Court and hence any high court ruling in this regard is uncalled for.

Haider's petition claimed that Musharraf had imposed martial law in the name of emergency in 2007 by resorting to extra-constitutional measures and illegally put over 60 members of the superior judiciary under house arrest.

Pirzada and Qayyum abetted him in the act, the petition alleged.

All three should be charged with high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution, it said.

Musharraf, who resigned as president in 2008, has been living in self-imposed exile in Britain since last year. He recently launched his party -- All Pakistan Muslim League --in the UK and announced his return to active politics.