ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the special court order to include him as a co-accused in the high treason case.

The special court on November 21 ordered the federal government to include Mr Aziz, former federal minister Zahid Hamid and ex-chief justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar as the co-accused in the treason case along with Pervez Musharraf for imposing an emergency in 2007.

Read: Abettors’ trial ordered in Musharraf case

Mr Hamid and retired Justice Dogar have already challenged the special court order in the IHC.

In his petition, the former prime minister contended that the special court was formed for the trial of Gen Musharraf alone.

“The special court had only to see the complaint before it that was filed by the federal government and it was not its mandate to include more names as the co-accused.”

Mr Aziz’s counsel Barrister Wasim Sajjad also contended that the special court could not direct the federal government to include more names in the case.

Justice Athar Minallah of the IHC will take up the matter on December 23 when Musharraf’s counsel Barrister Farogh Nasim and the attorney general of Pakistan would argue on the maintainability of the case.

On December 12, additional attorney general Afnan Karim Kundi had suggested that the IHC constitute a larger bench for hearing the appeals of the co-accused.

Earlier, the counsel for Mr Aziz approached the Supreme Court to file the petition but the registrar office raised the objection that an identical matter was pending before the IHC.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2014