Pakistan Army lashes out at judiciary, backs Musharraf

Islamabad: Pakistan Army on Tuesday lashed out at the country’s judiciary and came out in support of its former chief and President Pervez Musharraf who was given death sentence by a special court in a case of high treason.

In a statement issued by Pakistan’s Army official media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the decision of the special court had been received with “lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed forces.”

Musharraf, who served as chief of Army, Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff Committee and Pakistan’s President for over 40 years and “fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor”, the ISPR said.

Outraged at the court’s decision, the Army said, the “due legal process seems to have been ignored including constitution of special court, denial of fundamental right of self-defence, undertaking individual specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste”.

The ISPR said that the armed forces still expected justice in line with the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.