<p>Pakistan's Supreme Court today began the process of forming a special court to try former dictator Pervez Musharraf on charges of treason for imposing emergency in 2007, the first time civilian authorities have sought to criminally prosecute a military ruler.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry directed the country's five High Courts to nominate a judge each by tomorrow for the three-member special court that will try the 70-year-old Musharraf.<br /><br />He will choose the three judges who will hear the treason case, a charge that could entail the death penalty or life imprisonment.<br /><br />Chaudhry acted after the Law Ministry sent a letter to the apex court Registrar's Office seeking the formation of a special court to try the former army chief for high treason.<br /><br />This is the first time the civilian administration has sought the criminal prosecution of a military ruler.<br /><br />Musharraf's spokesperson has described the government's decision to initiate the case against him as a "vicious attempt to undermine the Pakistan military".<br /><br />The military has ruled Pakistan for about half of its 66-year history and no ruler or top military commander has ever faced criminal prosecution.<br /><br />Earlier in the day, the Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of Musharraf's petition for removing his name from the Interior Ministry's Exit Control List till November 22.<br /><br />In his plea, Musharraf said he wants to go to Dubai to meet his ailing mother. Persons included in the Exit Control List are barred from travelling out of Pakistan.<br /><br />Since Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March, he has faced prosecution in four major cases, including one over the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.<br /><br />Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan yesterday said the government decided to initiate treason proceedings against Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution in line with a judgement of the Supreme Court and a report submitted by an inquiry committee of the Federal Investigation Agency.<br /><br />The former President would have to be held accountable for violating the Constitution, Khan said. </p>
<p>Pakistan's Supreme Court today began the process of forming a special court to try former dictator Pervez Musharraf on charges of treason for imposing emergency in 2007, the first time civilian authorities have sought to criminally prosecute a military ruler.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry directed the country's five High Courts to nominate a judge each by tomorrow for the three-member special court that will try the 70-year-old Musharraf.<br /><br />He will choose the three judges who will hear the treason case, a charge that could entail the death penalty or life imprisonment.<br /><br />Chaudhry acted after the Law Ministry sent a letter to the apex court Registrar's Office seeking the formation of a special court to try the former army chief for high treason.<br /><br />This is the first time the civilian administration has sought the criminal prosecution of a military ruler.<br /><br />Musharraf's spokesperson has described the government's decision to initiate the case against him as a "vicious attempt to undermine the Pakistan military".<br /><br />The military has ruled Pakistan for about half of its 66-year history and no ruler or top military commander has ever faced criminal prosecution.<br /><br />Earlier in the day, the Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of Musharraf's petition for removing his name from the Interior Ministry's Exit Control List till November 22.<br /><br />In his plea, Musharraf said he wants to go to Dubai to meet his ailing mother. Persons included in the Exit Control List are barred from travelling out of Pakistan.<br /><br />Since Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March, he has faced prosecution in four major cases, including one over the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.<br /><br />Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan yesterday said the government decided to initiate treason proceedings against Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution in line with a judgement of the Supreme Court and a report submitted by an inquiry committee of the Federal Investigation Agency.<br /><br />The former President would have to be held accountable for violating the Constitution, Khan said. </p>