Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Police officials in the federal capital confirmed on Saturday to have received a bailable arrest warrant for ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf and said the warrant might be served on Monday.
A special court constituted to try Musharraf for high treason had issued a warrant on Friday. The court had also ordered the Islamabad police to submit a compliance report to the court on February 7.
Since the start of the trial, Musharraf has not appeared before the court. The proceedings against him started late December last year.
The 70-year-old retired general is currently hospitalised at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi. He was rushed to the AFIC and admitted there exactly a month ago, after he complained of chest pain en route to the court.
Inspector General of Islamabad Police Sikandar Hayat confirmed to The Express Tribune that police have received the bailable arrest warrant from the court. Hayat said a police officer from the force will now serve the warrant to Musharraf.
“He will be given two options: either to be arrested or to submit a surety bond for his bail,” the police chief said.
The bond set by the special court for Musharraf’s pre-arrest bail is Rs2.5 million.
Islamabad police officials said the former president, who first came to power in a military coup in 1999, could be served the warrant on the weekend. But it is likely that the police will wait till Monday to carry out the action as police have a week to report back to the special court, the officials said.
If Musharraf is served the warrant at the AFIC in Rawalpindi, then Islamabad police officers will have to be accompanied by Rawalpindi policemen, according to jurisdictional protocol.
The three-judge bench rejecting Musharraf’s plea to seek medical treatment abroad on Friday stated that no reasonable excuse was provided to justify Musharraf’s failure to appear before the court.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (9)
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@shahid: Totally agreed.
Only 2.5 million. It should be Rs 630 million. Per his own declaration, that is his net worth before the election in 2013.
@shahid: Lol ...
Musharraf should Refuse to go to court and deceare his lack of faith in courts and the whole process. He should refuse to participate in this revenge process.Let them do whatever they can do by force.Let the world know true face of Nawaz sharif and Pakistani courts
The civilians have Zero jurisdiction in the colonial structured army of Pakistan. When will Pakistanis become aware of this reality? The army on the other hand does not require any writ to enter peoples houses,arrest them and make them disappear by handing them over to foreign powers and if their authority is questioned at any time, they are ready to ride roughshod on Pakistan institutions and declare them invalid. This is the real drama of General Parvez Musharaf, these guys do not retire and keep their title for life. The executive in Pakistan stands paralised but expects from judiciary to issue verdicts.
Can the editorial staff of Express Tribune not address the constitutional status of Pakistan army in Pakistan, if the readers do not?
Rex Minor
Why only him justice will only be done once all corrupt people in Pakistan are also cornered to the wall and brought to their logical end within a very quick time frame not to exceed 30 days.
Paa lo innu lambya :p
On a serious note, hope this saga ends in a way that benefits the country :)
The numerous dramas created by Musharraf to avoid punishment under article-6 are approaching their logical end. The former dictator is now cornered to the wall and must bow down to the Constitution of Pakistan.