Musharraf leaves court after arrest order

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday ordered arrest of former President Pervez Musharraf for detaining senior judges when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.

Musharraf was in the Islamabad High Court when the court delivered verdict.

The court cancelled his interim bail in the case and ordered his arrest. However, Musharraf, succeeded to flee the court with his security guards.

A case had been filed against Musharraf for placing dozens of top judges under house arrest when he imposed emergency rule and suspended the constitution in November 2007. The judges had refused to take oath under his Provincial Constitutional Order.

A lower court had previously issued arrest warrant for Musharraf in the case and had declared him proclaimed offender as he had previously failed to appear before the court despite several orders.

His defence lawyer told the court that he could not appear as he had been out of the country.

Musharraf had then got a temporary bail and the Islamabad High Court extended the bail until April 18 weeks after he returned to Pakistan after over four-year of self-exile.

The Islamabad High Court had granted interim bail in the case and the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqi cancelled his bail when he appeared before the Chief Justice on Thursday.

Musharraf was brought to the court in a bullet-proof jeep under tight security. Dozens of paramilitary soldiers and a large number of police were deployed outside and inside the court’s premises.

A group of lawyers chanted slogans against Pervez Musharraf as he arrived in the court’s premises. Dozens of Musharraf’s supporters were also at the court’s promise. The security forces were deployed to avoid any clash between supporters and rivals of Musharraf.

Musharraf is also facing other legal cases, including treason charges for imposing emergency rule, the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and the killing of a Baloch leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, denied all charges and said he will defend himself in courts. He had resigned in August 2008 to avoid impeachment by the parliament and then went into exile.

He returned to Pakistan last month after over four years of self-imposed exile in Britain and the UAE to take part in the May 11 parliamentary elections for his All Pakistan Muslim League party.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Apr 18 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.