Islamabad: The special court conducting Pervez Musharraf's treason trial today ordered the setting up of a medical board to assess the former Pakistani dictator's health condition after his lawyer said he should be sent to the US for treatment.
The board comprising doctors of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi will have to ascertain 70-year-old Musharraf's condition and submit its findings to the court on January 24.
The special court set up to try Musharraf on high treason charges for imposing emergency in 2007 also exempted him from personal appearances till January 23.
The court's ruling came hours after Musharraf's lawyer Anwar Mansoor submitted a letter written by his US-based doctor Arjumand Hashmi, which said the former president should be sent to Paris Regional Medical Center in Texas for treatment.
However, Kasuri said no decision has been made by Musharraf's family or aides about sending him abroad.
"We have not submitted any application seeking his treatment abroad. We have just presented a letter by Dr Arjumand Hashmi, who has been treating Musharraf earlier, to support the medical report that AFIC had presented," he said.
Prosecutor Akram Sheikh argued that the court summoned Musharraf six times but the accused did not appear before the bench which can be considered contempt of court.
In a separate development, an anti-terrorism court adjourned till January 27 the hearing of another case against Musharraf over the detention of judges in 2007.
There has been speculation that a deal could be struck to allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan for medical treatment abroad though he currently remains under a travel ban which government ministers have said they will not lift.
Musharraf has described the treason allegations as politically motivated. He is also facing serious criminal charges over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, the death of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti and the detention of judges in 2007.
This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military ruler has been put on trial for treason. If convicted, he could be given life imprisonment or death penalty.
The board comprising doctors of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi will have to ascertain 70-year-old Musharraf's condition and submit its findings to the court on January 24.
The special court set up to try Musharraf on high treason charges for imposing emergency in 2007 also exempted him from personal appearances till January 23.
The court's ruling came hours after Musharraf's lawyer Anwar Mansoor submitted a letter written by his US-based doctor Arjumand Hashmi, which said the former president should be sent to Paris Regional Medical Center in Texas for treatment.
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However, Kasuri said no decision has been made by Musharraf's family or aides about sending him abroad.
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"We have not submitted any application seeking his treatment abroad. We have just presented a letter by Dr Arjumand Hashmi, who has been treating Musharraf earlier, to support the medical report that AFIC had presented," he said.
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Prosecutor Akram Sheikh argued that the court summoned Musharraf six times but the accused did not appear before the bench which can be considered contempt of court.
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In a separate development, an anti-terrorism court adjourned till January 27 the hearing of another case against Musharraf over the detention of judges in 2007.
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There has been speculation that a deal could be struck to allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan for medical treatment abroad though he currently remains under a travel ban which government ministers have said they will not lift.
Musharraf has described the treason allegations as politically motivated. He is also facing serious criminal charges over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, the death of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti and the detention of judges in 2007.
This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military ruler has been put on trial for treason. If convicted, he could be given life imprisonment or death penalty.
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