Pak court throws out Pervez Musharraf’s ranting lawyer

Judges hearing treason charges against Pervez Musharraf ordered former Pakistan president retired General Pervez Musharraf's lawyer Rana Ijaz out of the special court during hearing of case.

Ijaz was expelled from the courtroom for his seething attacks on the special court judges hearing the case against Musharraf yesterday. The judges also adjourned a formal indictment of Musharraf to the end of the week.

Advocate Rana Ijaz told special judge Faisal Arab that he had been threatened by gangsters for his work on the case. He also threatened the judge saying that the threats from outside will recoil on the judges.

''I have many supporters and if something happens to me they will take care of you,'' her threatened.

Arab, who heads a three-member panel hearing the case, responded by having security escort Ijaz out.

Assistant Inspector General Waqar Chohan of the special branch of police finally signalled his men to take out the ranting lawyer.

Musharraf himself was not present in the court after an official report said the former military ruler's life was under threat.

The report said Musharraf's security itself has been infested with sympathisers of the terrorists and they could assassinate him.

The report said the terrorists could execute the plan through planted or vehicle-borne explosives, or even at the court in a manner ''similar to the incident of Salmaan Taseer'', the Punjab governor who was shot dead by his own security guard in 2011.

Following reports of threat to Musharraf on the occasion of his appearance in the special trial court, around 150 personnel of the Punjab Police who were part of his security, were replaced with army commandos.