Musharraf files plea seeking ‘foolproof security’ for returning to Pakistan

Apart from medical reasons, his petition cites “serious security threats” to his life.

Former Pakistan president and former army chief Pervez Musharraf is facing treason charges in Pakistan for imposing emergency rule in November 2007 and arresting judges and limiting their powers. He is also being tried in murder cases of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, who was killed during the operation on Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

Citing “serious security threats,” Pakistan’s former army chief General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf on Friday filed a petition in an anti-terrorism court (ATC), seeking “foolproof security” in order to be able to return to the country and appear in the judges’ detention case.

An application filed by the retired general’s counsel asked the court in Islamabad to direct authorities to provide extraordinary security to the 73-year-old ex-president in view of “serious security threats.” Until such security measures have been taken, the application said,General (retd.) Musharraf should be exempted from appearing in the court, the application said.

The plea has said it is “neither safe nor advisable” for him to appear in person in the court due to security and medical reasons,

Dawn reported. “Security conditions in the courts and otherwise have not yet improved,” the application read.

Notices issued to I-G

ATC Judge Sohail Ikram accepted the application and issued notices to Inspector General of police Islamabad and the Home Secretary. The hearing was adjourned till February 9.

At the last hearing of the judges’ detention case in December, the ATC gave a one-month deadline to General (retd.) Musharraf to surrender.

The court had warned at the time that the former military ruler would be declared a proclaimed offender if he failed to comply with the deadline.

Treason, murder charges

The former army chief is facing treason charges in Pakistan for imposing emergency rule in November 2007, arresting judges and limiting their powers. Besides, he is also being tried in murder cases of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, who was killed during the operation on Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

The judges’ detention case was registered by the Secretariat police on August 11, 2009, on the complaint of Advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam against the former military ruler for confining 60 judges of the superior courts for over five months and restraining them from administering justice.

The judges, including former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were detained after the proclamation of an emergency in the country.

General (retd.) Musharraf had left the country for Dubai in March earlier last year, hours after the Interior Ministry issued a notification to remove his name from the exit control list.