Azam Swati refers to Musharraf high treason verdict as 'judicial adventurism'

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Senator Azam Swati on Sunday criticised the Musharraf high treason case verdict by referring to it as 'judicial adventurism'.

“This is not judicial activism but judicial adventurism,” Swati told Geo Parliament, while talking about the death penalty given to the former military ruler by a special court over his November 2007 steps of imposing emergency and suspending the Constitution.

The verdict received a lot of flak from legal and political analysts for paragraph 66 that was included in the verdict. Authored by Justice Waqar Seth, paragraph 66 called on law enforcement agencies to arrest Musharraf and if he was found dead, drag his body to the D-Chowk in Islamabad and hang it for three days.

Swati said that the government had reservations over the entire verdict and not just one paragraph from it. He questioned whether those who had authored the verdict were trying to write a new chapter in the history of constitution and law. He said that the 'selection of words' in the judgment pointed to the judge's ego and bias.

The minister said that there were other people as well who were involved in decision making with Musharraf at that time. Swati added that 'action against the co-conspirators' will be included in the cabinet’s agenda.

When asked about the government’s options on the extension of the army chief’s tenure, the minister said the government had two to three options on the legislation.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senator stated that the first option the government had was to 'amend the Army Act'.

“The second option is to bring a public bill and the third option is to table an explanatory bill,” said the senator. He added that under the third option the government will clarify on the army’s chief’s extension.

The minster said that the parliament’s clarity on a matter needs to be accepted by the apex court or any court. "The Supreme Court cannot advise or order the Parliament", he stated.

The top court last month had taken up a petition challenging the extension of the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In it’s verdict, the apex court had allowed the federal government to grant a six-month extension to the army chief and directed it to bring necessary legislation within six months' time.