Musharraf ropes in legal eagles to defend him in Pak SC

Former President Pervez Musharraf has formed a team of top lawyers and legal experts to defend him after Pakistan's Supreme Court summoned him to explain his actions of imposing emergency.

Facing “bad times”,former President Pervez Musharraf has formed a team of top lawyers and legal experts to defend him after Pakistan’s Supreme Court summoned him to explain his actions of imposing emergency and sacking over 60 judges in 2007.

The team will be headed by legal expert Abdul Hafiz Pirzada,who travelled to London earlier this week to hold consultations with Musharraf. Top lawyers Khalid Ranjha,Malik Qayyum and Fawwad Chaudhry are also members of the team.

Chaudhry told TV news channels over phone from London that Musharraf had said that he had done everything in the national interest during his tenure as President.

Chaudhry also quoted the former army chief as saying: “I saw good times,and I will see bad times now.”

Musharraf’s legal team is currently preparing arguments to defend him in the apex court,sources said.

A 14-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry issued a notice to Musharraf on Wednesday asking him to explain his decision to impose emergency in November 2007 and to sack over 60 members of the superior judiciary who did not endorse the measure. The matter will come up for hearing on July 29.

Musharraf met Pirzada,former Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Babar Ghouri in London yesterday to discuss the implications of the apex court’s move.

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Chief Justice Chaudhry was among the judges deposed by Musharraf. He was restored to his position in March this year following country-wide protests by the lawyers’ movement and the opposition PML-N.

The apex court’s action has sparked speculation as to whether the powerful army will support Musharraf.

Though Musharraf resigned in August last year to avoid being impeached by the civilian government,political circles here believe he continues to have the support of the military.