Musharraf says will defend himself in Pak courts

Former President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to defend himself in Pakistani courts in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling declaring the emergency imposed by him in 2007 as unconstitutional.

Musharraf, currently on a lecture tour of the US, said in Washington that his lawyers were reviewing the detailed verdict of the Supreme Court which was delivered in July. Talking to Pakistani journalists in Washington, he said he would defend himself in the country's courts as he was ready to face all charges levelled against him.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf, a confidant of Musharraf, also told reporters that the ex-President had decided to defend himself if needed. Ashraf also said President Asif Ali Zardari had not met Musharraf, either in New York or Washington, when he was in the US for the UN General Assembly session. On Tuesday, Musharraf was invited to Capitol Hill to share with Republican and Democrat lawmakers his thoughts on the situation in the Afghan-Pak region and the way forward.