ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — After years of delays and disruptions, a special court in Pakistan on Tuesday sentenced the country’s former military dictator, Pervez Musharraf, to death in a treason case.

But the sentence is more symbolic in nature, as Mr. Musharraf is currently in self-imposed exile in Dubai and is unlikely to return to the country. Nevertheless, the sentence marked the first time in the country’s history that a military dictator has been held accountable for his actions while in power.

A three-member special court panel announced that Mr. Musharraf “has been found guilty of Article 6 for violation of the Constitution of Pakistan,” namely, high treason and subverting the Constitution. Two judges decided in favor of the guilty verdict while one disagreed.

Mr. Musharraf, 76, was accused of subverting the country’s Constitution in 2007 when he imposed a state of emergency in the country in an attempt to thwart a political opposition movement and also fired much of the judiciary. The movement had greatly weakened Mr. Musharraf, and he resigned in 2008 under a threat of impeachment.