A Pakistani special court has summoned former President Pervez Musharraf to appear on a charge of high treason.



Akram Sheikh, the head of the government prosecution team, said on December 13 that Musharraf was ordered to appear before the court on December 24 for the start of his trial.



If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or death.



The case relates to Musharraf's 2007 decision to declare a state of emergency.



He would be the first military ruler tried for treason in Pakistan, which has seen three military coups since independence in 1947.



Musharraf faces an array of criminal charges for his 1999-2008 rule, including responsibility in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.



He has been granted bail on those charges but remains under guard at his residence outside Islamabad.



Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal