This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Islamabad • Pakistan's Supreme Court says the government has formally started the process to try former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf for treason.
The court says the government sent a letter Monday asking Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to choose three high court judges to try Musharraf.
The government announced Sunday it planned to try Musharraf for treason for declaring a state of emergency and suspending the constitution while in power. Musharraf would be the first army chief tried for treason in a country that has experienced three military coups.
Musharraf's spokesman lashed out at the government, saying it was an attempt to malign the military.
The former president seized power in a coup in 1999 and ruled for almost a decade until he was forced to step down in 2008.