Former military dictator Pervez Musharraf turned into a fugitive on Thursday as he fled from the Islamabad High Court after it cancelled his bail in the judges’ detention case. Not only did he manage to leave the court room but also made his way back to his farmhouse on the outskirts of the federal capital with full escort.
The court described the detention of 60 judges as an “act of terrorism” that could attract life imprisonment, and declared General (retired) Musharraf a “proclaimed offender.” The order also took note of the escape, and said his fleeing and the part played by his security guards in whisking him away were an offence.
Till late in the evening, no formal arrest had been made though a police cordon was thrown around his highly-secured farmhouse, raising speculations about the possibility of a house arrest by turning the premises into a sub-jail. The former Army Chief remained closeted inside his farmhouse for the entire day. His lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri said he was in good spirits, meeting people, drinking coffee and smoking cigars.