IslamicLawBlog

Pakistani politicians are faltering in their resolve to prosecute General Pervez Musharraf for high treason. Under Article 6 of the Pakistan constitution, " any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason ." This far-reaching language was drafted to deter military generals from seizing power. In 1999, Musharraf did topple a democratically elected government. However, the treason case for which Musharraf is being prosecuted involves the 2007 subversion of the constitution -- a move directly assaulting the independence of judiciary. In 2007, Musharraf did not overthrow a civilian government. This time Musharraf staged a coup against the Pakistan Supreme Court. By 2007, under an emerging lawyers' movement to restore democracy, the judiciary had bee...

Press TV has conducted an interview with Liaquat Ali Khan, law professor at Washburn University from Kansas, to discuss why the Pakistani government has decided to launch an offensive against Taliban militants in the country’s northwest. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview. Press TV:  Another question that a lot of people are asking is why did Pakistan decide to launch a war on the militants when it previously distinguished between “good and bad militants” and engaged in talks with them?      Khan:  There are several factors. I don’t think there is only one reason why the Pakistani armed forces decided to go into North Waziristan. I think the foremost is the pressure from the United States and other international forces to attack the resistant forces in North Waziristan which are also fighting the Americans on the other side of the border. I think the United States has been demanding for last many years that the a...