ISLAMABAD -- A Pakistani tribunal has ruled that the formation of a special court that has handed former military ruler Pervez Musharraf a death sentence was “unconstitutional.”

It was not immediately clear whether the January 13 ruling by the Lahore High Court would automatically nullify Musharraf’s death sentence on treason charges.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan between 1999 and 2008 and is currently receiving medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates.

The 76-year-old is the first military ruler to stand trial in Pakistan, where the military maintains a strong influence.

He was sentenced to death in absentia by a special court in December on treason charges stemming from his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007.

Musharraf has slammed the case against him as a "vendetta," while the military accused the court of ignoring legal processes and defended Musharraf's patriotism.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government also questioned the fairness of the trial and said it had found "gaps and weaknesses" in the sentence.