Pakistani court annuls ex-military ruler's conviction

KARACHI, Pakistan

A Pakistani court on Monday set aside the death sentence of the country's former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a high treason case, court records said.

A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court declared the formation of a special court that sentenced Musharraf to death last month "unconstitutional", local broadcaster Dawn News reported.

The court declared that the treason case against Musharraf was not prepared in accordance with the law.

A special court in Islamabad, last month, had slapped Musharraf with the death sentence in absentia.

The former military ruler is currently undergoing treatment in the United Arab Emirates for several health conditions.

This was the first time in Pakistan's history that a military chief had been declared guilty of high treason and been given the death sentence. The verdict was split 2-1 with two of the three judges making the decision against Musharraf.

In March 2014, Musharraf was charged with high treason for implementing emergency rule and suspending the constitution in 2007.

In August 2017, he was declared an "absconder" by Pakistan's anti-terrorism court in the verdict on the 2007 murder of Benazir Bhutto, a two-time prime minister.

Musharraf -- a former four-star general -- ran the country as president from 2001 until tendering his resignation to avoid impeachment in 2008.