ISLAMABAD: Opposition politician and former cricketer Imran Khan said Saturday that President Pervez Musharraf has committed treason and should face the death penalty for declaring a state of emergency.

Imran Khan also called on the Pakistani people to resist Musharraf’s move and not to recognise the new chief justice appointed by the military ruler.

“He has committed high treason by negating the orders of the Supreme Court which bars him from taking any unconstitutional steps and by sending in troops after the Supreme Court decision,” Khan was quoted as saying.

“He is punishable by death.”

He continued to say, “I urge every Pakistani people not to recognise this collaborator chief justice.

“I urge the people, lawyers, civil society to resist this move by Musharraf. I urge lawyers to boycott the court proceedings.”

Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that the country was in the middle of crisis adding that the decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented.

?In the past prime minister and the parliament were targets of martial law but now the Supreme Court is the target,? Sharif told Geo News on telephone from Saudi Arabia.

“The decision to impose an emergency is unprecedented. Never in history has such treatment been meted out to judges,” Nawaz Sharif said.

SOURCE