Ailing Musharraf will not appear in court for treason trial

The lawyer of the former president, Pervez Musharraf, said Sunday that Musharraf would not make a scheduled appearance at his treason trial tomorrow, Monday, because of an ongoing illness. The 70-year old Musharraf was shifted to hospital after developing medical complications en-route to the special court for appearance in treason case for imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007. The military strongman fell sick as he was on his way to the court to appear before the bench and was shifted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in eastern Rawalpindi city. The special court for treason trial against Musharraf has ordered him to appear before bench on Monday. Musharraf's lawyer, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, said "Everyone is aware of his sickness. The whole world knows that he is in the Intensive Care Unit and the court also knows that." "We just have to make an oral request in the court that since he is not well, his presence should be dispensed with," he added. Meanwhile, the lawyers of the military strongman are planning to file a petition in the court to get his name removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) after the interior ministry refused to act on their request. Musharraf's senior counsel, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, told that Musharraf's wife had also sent an application to the interior ministry for removing her husband's name from the ECL. The counsel further said that wife of the former president; Sehba Musharraf, cited health condition of her husband and requested the competent authorities of the interior ministry to immediately remove his name from the ECL to enable her to take him abroad for medical treatment. The doctors of the military hospital have sent the medical reports of Musharraf to experts in Britain to determine his further treatment at home or abroad. The government leveled five charges against Musharraf praying to the special court to award the military ruler death penalty or life imprisonment in high treason case. Musharraf's lawyers have already contended that the treason charge levied against him is politically motivated and that proceedings would be a "show trial."