Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected former chief justice Abdul Hamid Dogar’s plea for a stay order against his trial in a special court. The court issued notice to the attorney general and sought reply from the federal government in this regard.

A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case. Justice Iqbal Hameed ur Rahman and Tariq Parvez were members of the bench, which took up the petition. The former chief justice had challenged Islamabad High Court’s order in the Supreme Court. Dogar had asked the Islamabad High Court to stop the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from investigating him in the high treason case, but the court dismissed his plea.

The SC observed that it could not stay Islamabad High Court’s order. The court said there was no evidence that the FIA was harassing the petitioner.

The counsel for Dogar, Iftikhar Gillani, told the SC that the FIA was harassing his client. He said the spaecial court trying former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on charge of high treason could not declare Dogar a co-accused in the treason case. He said the former chief justice had nothing to do with the November 3, 2007 emergency.

He said the SC had earlier observed in the Sindh High Court Bar case that only Musharraf was responsible for the November 3 emergency. “The verdict given by a 14-member bench of the SC is only against Musharraf. Therefore, the case against his client was mala fide,” he said.

However, the court issued a notice to the federal government to explain its position. The case has been adjourned until next week.