MojNews-A Pakistan court Monday annulled the death sentence handed to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf , ruling that the special court which had found him guilty of treason last year was unconstitutional, a government prosecutor said.

The original ruling had marked the first time a former leader of the armed forces had faced such a sentence for treason in Pakistan , where the military maintains strong influence and senior officers are often considered immune from prosecution.

It caused a wave of controversy, with Musharraf — exiled in Dubai — slamming it as a “vendetta” and the military expressing its disappointment.

A High Court in the eastern city of Lahore ruled it “illegal” on Monday.

Musharraf first took power after ousting prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in ۱۹۹۹.