ISLAMABAD: A special court on Wednesday rejected a plea by former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf to adjourn hearings in a high treason case against him on account of ill health.
The retired general, who came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, is accused of unlawfully suspending the constitution and instituting emergency rule in 2007 at a time when he was in power.
Musharraf denies the charges. He stepped down from power in 2008 amid mass protests and was indicted for high treason in March 2014. In 2016, he was allowed to leave Pakistan for health reasons that his lawyer argued prevented him from standing trial on treason and other charges.
Earlier this month, media reported that Musharraf was critically ill and had been hospitalized in Dubai.
“Musharraf is seriously ill and cannot even walk,” Mehrene Adam Malik, the secretary general of Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party, said in a message to the media on Wednesday, adding that doctors had advised the retired military official not to travel. “He will come back to Pakistan as soon as his health settles down.”
In March this year, Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa had said Musharraf would lose his right of defense in the treason case if he did not appear before a special court on May 2. Musharraf missed that hearing, which was adjourned until after Ramadan, which ended on June 5.
Pakistani court dismisses Musharraf’s plea to adjourn high treason case
Pakistani court dismisses Musharraf’s plea to adjourn high treason case
- Former military ruler stepped down from power in 2008, was indicted for high treason in March 2014
- Since 2016 he has lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai where lawyers and aides say he remains seriously ill
Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization
- Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
- Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.
The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.
The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said.
“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards.
Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.
Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.
In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group.
The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.
