The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday returned a civil miscellaneous application by ex-President Pervez Musharraf against his conviction in the high treason case by a special court, citing unavailability of the full bench during the winter vacations.

A legal panel comprising Khawaja Ahmad Tariq Rahim and Azhar Siddique had filed the application on Friday challenging all actions starting from complaint of high treason to establishment of the special trial court and its proceedings, Dawn news reporred.

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A three-judge full bench recently constituted by LHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan is scheduled to take up the main petition on January 9, 2020.

Advocate Siddique told Dawn news that the LHC registrar’s office returned the application on Friday as the full bench was not available during the winter vacations.

He said the application would be filed again in the first week of January.

Earlier on Friday, Musharraf filed a petition with the Lahore High Court that challenged the verdict by a special court in the high treason case against him for suspending the Constitution on November 3, 2007.

On December 17, Musharraf was sentenced to death by a Pakistan court.

Earlier in the month, Musharraf was admitted to hospital in Dubai after he complained of “heart and blood pressure-related complications”. In May this year, Musharraf’s health deteriorated and was rushed to a hospital in Dubai.

In November, a special court in Islamabad reserved its verdict in the high treason case involving Musharraf.

In October, the Islamabad High Court had dismissed a petition that sought deletion of terrorism charges against the former president and transfer of the judges, detention case from the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATS) to the sessions court.

The former President has been seeking deletion of terrorism charges and subsequent transfer of his case from the ATC to the sessions court on the ground that initially the FIR was registered under the Pakistan Penal Code against him in connection with the detention of 60 judges of the superior judiciary after the imposition of emergency on November 3, 2007.

Musharraf was declared a proclaimed offender by a special court in the high treason case.

(With inputs from agency)