Every journey starts from a certain point. Pakistan’s journey towards an era without martial law has started with the verdict of the high treason case against former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf; specifically the death penalty awarded to him under Article 6 of the constitution. As a matter of policy, this newspaper neither supports the death penalty nor unconstitutional acts. General Musharraf stood trial in the case of an emergency he imposed on November 3, 2007. It is ironic he was never tried or questioned for ousting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in 1999. Also, the judges who took oath under Musharraf-imposed martial law have never been questioned. Instead, the top court of that time not only legitimised his office, but granted him certain time to fix the ills the country had been facing and conduct elections. His time at the top only ended when PPP came into power in 2008 elections and threatened him with impeachment. Pakistan is the land of mixed voices, and that is not a bad thing. In the high treason case, a clear divide can be seen in political and social camps. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has expressed displeasure over the verdict, and plans to appeal. The army as an institution has stood by its former chief, and a tweet by its public relation department on the verdict is in bad taste. The entire case never involved the army; it was against an individual. Similarly, PTI’s position on the verdict is against the policies and statements of party chairman Imran Khan. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor said, “I will defend the law in the case but not any individual.” Gen Musharraf’s legal team may find several flaws in the special court’s formation, prosecution and verdict. Their plea to implicate the abettors in the case has not been heard. Article 6 (2) clearly states: “Any person aiding or abetting or collaborating the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason”. Gen Musharraf is in a Dubai hospital. The verdict may take a telling toll on his health. We wish him speedy recovery and advise him to return to Pakistan and challenge the verdict. Even if the Supreme Court upholds the death penalty, he can seek presidential pardon. That will help the country and history to find the right course. It is time to rework the balance in civil-military relations and start holding the men in uniform accountable for their actions. *