Pakistan government wants more time to decide on Musharraf trial

ISLAMABAD, April 17 (UPI) -- The Pakistani government Wednesday asked a court for more time to decide whether to try former President Pervez Musharraf on treason charges, documents show.

The government said it had not yet determined whether it would be proper to begin a trial for Musharraf, who was head of Pakistan's military when he took power in a coup in 1999 and served as president from 2001 to 2008, before the country's May 11 elections.

In the statement to the court, the government said lodging a case of high treason may adversely impact Pakistanis' impartiality heading into the elections.

The government's written statement came after the court asked the government Monday whether it would bring Musharraf to court on treason charges.

Musharraf had filed nomination papers for the upcoming election but the election tribunal disqualified him.

Later Wednesday, Musharraf appeared in court for the extension of his interim bail, Geo News said.

The court ordered him to submit a bond of $9,231.

Musharraf allegedly violated the Constitution and put judges of the superior court in illegal confinement after declaring a state of emergency in 2007, Geo News reported.