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Islamabad: He came
back from self-imposed exile hoping for another stint in power but
found himself under arrest instead. Former Pakistan president
Pervez Musharraf was taken into custody from his farmhouse here
and produced in court like a common prisoner Friday, a day after
he fled the Islamabad High Court to escape arrest.
Musharraf, 69, who returned last month after four years looking to
win political power in the upcoming elections, was at end of day
at the police headquarters. On Thursday, the flamboyant politician
had been whisked away from the Islamabad High Court premises after
the court had ordered his arrest for illegally confining senior
judges in 2007.
Speaking to Geo News, a confident Musharraf said he returned to
Pakistan out of his own will and respects the courts.
He expressed his determination to face the consequences.
But the future for Musharraf, who ruled for nearly a decade after
he grabbed power in a bloodless coup in 1999, is uncertain. He was
arrested from his home in Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of
Islamabad and taken to the police headquarters where he is
expected to remain for the next two days till he is presented
before an Anti-Terrorism Court. According to the law, anyone
granted a transit remand must be kept within police jurisdiction.
Earlier in the morning, the former president was presented before
judicial magistrate Raja Abbas Shah at the Islamabad District
Court. TV images showed a bespectacled Musharraf, wearing a
sleeveless jacket, being escorted by police personnel. His home
has been declared a sub-jail.
The judge also added a clause pertaining to terrorism in the list
of charges against the former army strongman, reported Dawn.
The court noted that the retired army chief could not be given
bail because the charges include terrorism.
Muhammad Amjad, a spokesperson for Musharraf's political party All
Pakistan Muslim League, said the magistrate had ordered Musharraf
to appear before an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi after two
days.
"Musharraf himself surrendered before the court Friday morning,"
Amjad said and denied reports he had been arrested prior to going
to court.
The case in which Musharraf was arrested was based on an FIR
against the retired general registered in Aug 11, 2009 on the
complaint of Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman, an advocate.
He had asked the police to initiate legal proceedings against
Musharraf for detaining over 60 judges, including Chief Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, after proclamation of a state of
emergency in the country Nov 3, 2007.
Xinhua recalled that the judges had refused to take oath under a
provisional constitutional order initiated by Musharraf.
A lower court had previously issued an arrest warrant for
Musharraf as he failed to appear before the court despite several
orders.
Is this the end of the political road for Musharraf, analysts
asked as the events unfolded.
Musharraf had returned to Pakistan after four years in Britain and
the UAE to lead his All Pakistan Muslim League in the May 11
parliamentary elections. But all four applications to contest the
polls, including from Islamabad, have been rejected by the
Election Commission.
Courts in the country have disqualified Musharraf from contesting
parliamentary elections for suspending the constitution and
imposing emergency in 2007 during his rule, effectively ending any
chances of a political splash.
Besides, he faces other serious cases, including treason charges
for imposing emergency rule, the 2007 assassination of former
premier Benazir Bhutto and the killing of Baloch leader Nawab
Akbar Bugti in 2006.
Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999 and resigned in
August 2008 to avoid impeachment by the parliament, has denied all
the charges and vowed to defend himself in courts.
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