Sharif, 5 others charged with treason

ISLAMABAD, DECEMBER 8: Nearly two months after he was toppled in a coup, Nawaz Sharif, his brother and five others were on Wednesday charg...

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ISLAMABAD, DECEMBER 8: Nearly two months after he was toppled in a coup, Nawaz Sharif, his brother and five others were on Wednesday chargesheeted by Pakistan’s military regime for waging war against the country, attempted murder and hijacking endangering the life of Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf for which he could be sentenced to death if convicted.

The two-page chargesheet in Urdu was filed against the deposed prime minister and the co-accused before Justice Shabbir Ahmed, heading an anti-terrorism bench of the Sindh High Court. Justice Ahmed was appointed only Tuesday evening to hear the high-profile case.

The case stemmed from refusal of permission to a plane carrying Musharraf and 200 other passengers to land at Karachi airport on October 12 following which the then Army chief, sacked by Sharif, staged a coup.

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A sombre-looking Sharif, who along with other accused, was present in the heavily-guarded court room when charges were read out, told the judge he had not been informed of the accusationsagainst him.

"I do have the right to know what are the charges against me. I have not been told anything," he said. The chargesheet was filed under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, Anti-Terrorist Act and Qisas and Diyat (Islamic laws).

Sharif, who has also been accused of collecting arms, and his co-accused did not enter a plea and the judge adjourned the case till Monday.

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