Pervez Musharraf death penalty: Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf was on Tuesday sentenced to death by a special court in the high treason case filed against him. The verdict in long-pending case was announced by a three-judge bench of a special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, the Dawn reported.

Musharraf, who is currently in Dubai, was booked in the case in December 2013 for imposing emergency in Pakistan on November 3, 2007. He was indicted in the case in 2014, however, the proceedings in the case were hit after the military ruler left Pakistan in March 2016. The 76-year-old leader had left for Dubai for medical treatment and has not returned since then citing security and health reasons.

The special court had earlier said that it would pronounce the verdict on November 19, however, the ruling Imran Khan government, days before the judgment, filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court, seeking its order to restrain the court from delivering the final decision.

Musharraf had led a bloodless coup in 1999 to oust the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to wrest power. He then served as the President of the country from 2001 to 2008.

Earlier this month, Musharraf had issued a video from Dubai hospital describing the treason charge levelled against him as "absolutely baseless".

"I have served my country for 10 years. I have fought for my country. This (treason) is the case in which I have not been heard and I have been victimised," he said in the video.

Musharraf can now appeal against the 2:1 split verdict of the special court in the Supreme Court. He has the option of approaching the president if the country top court upholds the lower court’s verdict.

This is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a former Army chief has been awarded death sentence after being convicted of treason. Musharraf’s death sentence is significant considering the Pakistan Army has maintained its clout over the civilian government ever since the country came into existence.



