‘HANG MUSHARRAF’S BODY FOR 3 DAYS’
ISLAMABAD: The detailed verdict of the Pakistani court that sentenced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death on charges of treason states that if the ex-army chief dies before he is apprehended, his body should be hanged for three days in Islamabad’s main square.
The judgment, made public on Thursday, directed “law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/ convict and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk, Islamabad, Pakistan and be hanged for 03 days”.
The order immediately irked the military, which has opposed the death sentence on the ground that Musharraf can “never be a traitor”. Chief military spokesman Asif Ghafoor told a news conference the detailed judgment was against “humanity and religion”.
Without taking questions from the media, Ghafoor said the military had expressed its reservations, which “are proving to be true” in the light of the detailed order of the three-judge court.
“The Pakistan Army is not just an institution. It is a family. We are the armed forces of the people [and] are strengthened by the people’s support... We know how to defend the country and we also know how to defend the respect and dignity of the institution,” he said.
Ghafoor said army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa met PM Imran Khan to discuss the situation arising from the verdict, and the two leaders exchanged views on how to address the matter keeping in mind the “sentiments of the armed forces”.
Earlier, Musharraf, who is currently ailing in Dubai, told the media the decision was based on a “personal vendetta”.