Treason case: Musharraf not indicted today
The former president appeared in court amid tight security.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk/AFP) - Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf arrived at special court on Tuesday for the first time to face charges in a treason.
The 70-year-old arrived in a heavily protected cavalcade at the National Library in Islamabad where the court has been holding hearings.
Musharraf stood up when the judge entered and gave him a small wave but did not speak.
Justice Faisal Arab, who heads the special panel of three judges, did not charge Musharraf and said he would first examine challenges raised by the defence.
"We are inclined to first decide about the jurisdiction of this court, and if we decide that the jurisdiction is valid, the accused can be called again," he said.
Later, the court reserved its verdict on the plea seeking Musharraf s trial under Army Act till Friday.
Musharraf faces treason charges, which can carry the death penalty, over his suspension of the constitution and imposition of a state of emergency in 2007 while he was president.
He was first ordered before the tribunal on December 24 but had missed repeated hearings since then due to bomb scares and health issues that saw him complain of a heart problem.
Musharraf has accused Prime Minister Sharif, who he ousted in a 1999 coup, of carrying out a "vendetta" and has asked for permission to go abroad for medical treatment, which has been refused.
Nawaz Sharif came to power after elections in May last year in the first transfer of power from one elected government to another after a full term.
Musharraf has endured a torrid time since returning to Pakistan in March last year on an ill-fated mission to run in the general election.
Almost as soon as he landed, he was barred from contesting the vote and hit with a barrage of legal cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule.
The charges against him include the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.
