Pervez Musharraf handed death sentence in high treason case.

ISLAMABAD -- A special court in Islamabad on Tuesday found former president general (retd) Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason and handed him the death sentence under Article 6 of the Constitution.

This is the first time in Pakistan's history that an army chief has been declared guilty of high treason and handed the death sentence. The verdict was split 2-1. SHC's Justice Nazar Akbar had dissented from the verdict. During the hearing, head of the Special Court Justice Waqr Ahmed Seth said that ex-president has been found guilty of violating the Article 6 of the Constitution by clamping the state of emergency on November 3, 2007.

Article 6 of the Constitution says: 'Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason."

The punishment for high treason is death or lifetime imprisonment, according to the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973.

The three-member bench of the special court - headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and comprising Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC - announced the verdict in the long-drawn high treason case against Musharraf after hearing final arguments on Tuesday. A detailed verdict will be issued in 48 hours.

The former army chief is currently in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He was admitted to a hospital following deterioration of his health earlier this month. His team can appeal Tuesday's verdict in the Supreme Court. If the top court upholds the special court's verdict, the president possesses the constitutional authority under Article 45 to pardon a death row defendant.

At the outset of Tuesday's hearing, the government's prosecutor, Advocate Ali Zia Bajwa, said that they had submitted three petitions.

One of the petitions asked that the court make three individuals - former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former Supreme Court chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and former law minister Zahid Hamid - suspects in the case.

"We want to make Musharraf's facilitators and companions suspects as well. It is important that the trial of all suspects is held at the same time," the prosecutor said.

"Submitting such a request after three and a half years means the government doesn't have the right intentions. Today the case was set for...