Islamabad: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who was the prime minister under Musharraf for a brief period, has demanded the Constitution be amended to replace the words "high treason" with "offence against state".
Hussain has submitted a draft of the proposed amendment to the Senate Secretariat yesterday, which says that the words "high treason" in Article 6 should be replaced with offence against the state.
Musharraf, who is face charges of high treason for imposing emergency in 2007, was admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi on January 2 after he suffered heart problems while being taken to a special court.
"Support is not emerging but is being emerged. All those who are now writing against the treason trial are those who have traditionally been seen as pro-Army," Ayesha Siddiqa, a leading Pakistani analyst told a news agency.
She said the army would not like to see its former chief being handcuffed and tried.
While taking part in the debate in the Senate earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Shujaat had condemned the use of word treason in the case being heard by a special court against Musharraf. He said it was used for those joining hands with enemies of the country.
He had opined the word high treason should be omitted from the Constitution at all.
"I`ve already presented myself to be part of the trial (and) the names of Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, the then Chief Minister Punjab, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the then chief of ISI and Iftikhar Chaudhary, the then Chief Justice of Pakistan must be included in the ongoing trial," he had said.
Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah has said that those who supported Musharraf should also be held accountable since punishment to an individual would not be acceptable for the world.
Shah has said that the ouster of Nawaz-government on October 12, 1999 by Musharraf in a coup was a bigger crime than proclamation of emergency on November 3, 2007.
According to Shah, it seemed an agreement had been reached and Musharraf would leave the country. He said the purpose of the trial of Musharraf for the actions on November 3 was to save 40-50 people.
Pakistan`s Muttahida Qaumi Movement party has claimed that Musharraf is being tried for treason because he was a "muhajir".
Analysts say that the move of those supporting Musharraf is to show that the trial is a "vendetta" as alleged by the former dictator himself.
Social media is all abuzz with arguments against and in support of Musharraf.
