Musharraf had no personal vendetta with Sharif — prosecutor

KARACHI, SEPT 14: Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf had no personal vendetta with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he ousted him in a coup, a state prosecutor told a court here Thursday. The court was hearing an appeal by Sharif against his conviction in April for hijacking and terrorism for which he was sentenced to life in jail by an anti-terrorism court.

Prosecutor Zahoorul Haq said Sharif’s decision to retire Musharraf as Army Chief on the day of the coup had been rejected by the entire Army. “It was not a personal vendetta but the decision of the army in totality not to accept the retirement of General Pervez Musharraf as army chief,” which led to the coup, Haq said.

Sharif had sacked Musharraf and replaced him with General Khawaja Ziauddin hours before the October 12 coup last year. Musharraf, who was at the time on a commercial flight returning to Karachi from Sri Lanka, found his plane unable to land at the airport. The plane eventually landed after the Army took control of the airport. “All the three services chiefs and 18 corp commanders took the decision of whatever happened on October 12,” Haq said.

Sharif, who had accused Musharraf of a personal vendetta, was convicted of endangering the lives of some 200 people onboard the flight, which had run dangerously short of fuel. The state is seeking the death penalty for Sharif.