Lal Masjid Operation: Musharraf under arrest again
Former President accused of involvement in the murder of Lal Masjid khateeb Abdul Rasheed Ghazi.
PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Former President Pervez Musharraf, who had only just managed to secure his release following bail being granted in the Akbar Bugti murder case, found himself under arrest again for the charge of murdering the 'prayer leader' of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi during the infamous 2007 operation, Express News reported on Thursday.
"We have put General Musharraf under house arrest in a case involving a military operation on an Islamabad mosque," Muhammad, Rizwan, a senior official of the Islamabad police told reporters.
"We will present him before a court on Friday," Rizwan added, after visiting Musharraf's plush villa at the edge of Islamabad, which has been declared a sub-jail.
Police had earlier refused a request by leaders of the Red Mosque to name General Musharraf as a suspect in the case of a military raid in 2007 which saw dozens killed including one of the administrators.
On orders from the Islamabad High Court, though, a case was finally registered against Musharraf on September 2, for the murder of Abdul Rashid and his mother during the Lal Masjid operation, paving way for Thursday's arrest.
The case was filed after Haroon Rasheed, the son of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, submitted an application at the Aabpara police station for the registration of an FIR against the former president for involvement in the death of Haroon's father and grandmother.
In the application, Rasheed had referred to about 20 pages of the Lal Masjid Commission report, which hold the former president responsible for the operation.
“Over 300 witnesses had testified in the Lal Majid commission report that the operation was conducted on the directives of Pervez Musharraf,” he said.
He also referred to Musharraf’s statement during his Bolan visit on July 7, 2007 in which he gave an ultimatum — leave the mosque or you will be killed.
“Later he acted upon his statement and killed Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and others during the operation,” Rasheed wrote.
Party says Musharraf will apply for bail again
A party spokesman confirmed the arrest saying they will now apply for bail in the latest case.
"Yes, Police have officially arrested General Musharraf and put him under house arrest. We will file his bail application soon," Muhammad Amjad, secretary General of Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), told AFP.
On Wednesday, Musharraf was granted bail by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court in the Bugti murder case on account of insufficient evidence against the accused. The indicted former president had already received bail in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case and the judges' detention case.
Former President Pervez Musharraf, who had only just managed to secure his release following bail being granted in the Akbar Bugti murder case, found himself under arrest again for the charge of murdering the 'prayer leader' of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi during the infamous 2007 operation, Express News reported on Thursday.
"We have put General Musharraf under house arrest in a case involving a military operation on an Islamabad mosque," Muhammad, Rizwan, a senior official of the Islamabad police told reporters.
"We will present him before a court on Friday," Rizwan added, after visiting Musharraf's plush villa at the edge of Islamabad, which has been declared a sub-jail.
Police had earlier refused a request by leaders of the Red Mosque to name General Musharraf as a suspect in the case of a military raid in 2007 which saw dozens killed including one of the administrators.
On orders from the Islamabad High Court, though, a case was finally registered against Musharraf on September 2, for the murder of Abdul Rashid and his mother during the Lal Masjid operation, paving way for Thursday's arrest.
The case was filed after Haroon Rasheed, the son of Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, submitted an application at the Aabpara police station for the registration of an FIR against the former president for involvement in the death of Haroon's father and grandmother.
In the application, Rasheed had referred to about 20 pages of the Lal Masjid Commission report, which hold the former president responsible for the operation.
“Over 300 witnesses had testified in the Lal Majid commission report that the operation was conducted on the directives of Pervez Musharraf,” he said.
He also referred to Musharraf’s statement during his Bolan visit on July 7, 2007 in which he gave an ultimatum — leave the mosque or you will be killed.
“Later he acted upon his statement and killed Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and others during the operation,” Rasheed wrote.
Party says Musharraf will apply for bail again
A party spokesman confirmed the arrest saying they will now apply for bail in the latest case.
"Yes, Police have officially arrested General Musharraf and put him under house arrest. We will file his bail application soon," Muhammad Amjad, secretary General of Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), told AFP.
On Wednesday, Musharraf was granted bail by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court in the Bugti murder case on account of insufficient evidence against the accused. The indicted former president had already received bail in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case and the judges' detention case.