Absence from court: Judge warns Musharraf of legal action

Former president accused of killing Lal Masjid cleric in 2007 operation.

ISLAMABAD:

A district court warned former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf of legal action on Tuesday if he failed to appear before the court in the next hearing of the Abdur Rasheed Ghazi murder case.

“Legal action will be taken if he fails to appear at the next hearing as per court order,” said Judge Wajid Ali of the additional sessions court. Musharraf is accused of the killing of former ‘prayer leader’ of Lal Masjid Abdul Rasheed Ghazi during the infamous 2007 operation.

When the hearing commenced, the court questioned the former president’s absence and expressed its displeasure. Musharraf’s lawyer, Akhtar Shah, submitted a plea urging for exemption from his client’s appearance in court on Tuesday. Shah cited security reasons for the former president’s absence, saying, “We are just urging for exemption from today’s appearance and not permanent exemption.”

Shah also presented a medical certificate before the court stating that Musharraf is ‘too weak to move’. The report was prepared by a team of five doctors of a private hospital in Karachi. Shah said doctors have advised complete rest for three days for Musharraf. He also urged the court to adjourn the case for three weeks.

The court had granted exemption to Musharraf for Tuesday’s appearance and summoned him and his guarantors and adjourned the case till July 23.

On September 2, 2013, a case was registered against Musharraf for the murder of the former cleric and his mother during the Lal Masjid operation. The case was filed after Haroon Rasheed, Ghazi’s son, submitted an application at the Aabpara police station for the registration of an FIR against the former president. In the application, Haroon had referred to about 20 pages of the Lal Masjid Commission report, which held the former president responsible for the operation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2014.