Islamabad, July 29: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday snubbed a summons from Pakistan’s top court to explain his decision to impose a state of emergency and controversially sack judges two years ago.
A 14-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, issued notice to Musharraf to appear in person or through counsel on July 29.
But neither the former head of state, who lost power last year and has been a vocal critic of the current Pakistani administration, nor a lawyer speaking on his behalf attended the session Wednesday, said an AFP reporter.
“Is somebody appearing on behalf of general Musharraf?” asked Chaudhry to a resounding silence in the courtroom.
Malik Qayyum, who was attorney general under Musharraf, was present in court but did not rise. Musharraf is understood to be in Britain.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, sacked Chaudhry and dozens of other senior judges in 2007, fearing that the chief justice would disqualify him from contesting a presidential election while in military uniform.
Musharraf was replaced last year as Pakistan’s president by Asif Ali Zardari, whose party won general elections and who reinstated Chaudhry and his fellow judges in March following a protracted political crisis.
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and lawyers had organised a march on the capital Islamabad, demanding that Zardari reinstate the judges, during mass protests that risked further destabilising the nuclear-armed country.
Under Western pressure Zardari conceded to defuse the standoff with Sharif, who had urged the masses to rise up against the government.
–Agencies