ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of deceased former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday. The special court had sentenced him in absentia in December 2019 for imposing a state of emergency in 2007, and the Lahore High Court had declared the ruling as unconditional in January 2020.
A four-member bench presided over by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa conducted the hearing, ultimately overturning the Lahore High Court’s decision. The apex court justices deemed the high treason case sustainable, marking the first time a former military dictator has been punished for subverting the constitution.
Pervez Musharraf died in Dubai in 2023 after a prolonged illness. The special court’s death sentence against him stemmed from his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007 and subsequent high treason for abrogating the Constitution. His trial was initiated by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2013.
This landmark ruling has repercussions beyond Musharraf’s case, as it represents a significant challenge to the power of the military in Pakistani politics. The Supreme Court’s decision has provoked strong reactions from the country’s powerful army, which has historically wielded significant influence over the government.
The issue of the sentence and the Lahore High Court ruling were challenges brought before the Supreme Court, with Musharraf’s counsel failing to garner support from the former president’s family. The apex court called for accountability of those who validated the martial law imposed by Musharraf in 1999, indicating a broader reckoning with the country’s history of military rule.
In a historical decision, Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, marking a significant challenge to the power of the military in Pakistani politics. The apex court’s ruling overturns the Lahore High Court’s decision and represents a broader reckoning with the country’s history of military rule.