ISLAMABAD, Apr 19:
Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf today suffered the humiliation of being arrested and was lodged in the police headquarters here, ahead of his trial by an anti-terrorism court.
The 69-year-old cocky ex-commando, who ruled the country with a firm hand for 9 years till 2008 after seizing power by toppling the civilian Government headed by Nawaz Sharif, was arrested by the police from his sprawling farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad.
Musharraf, who returned to Pakistan after nearly four years of self-exile to contest next month’s national elections, suffered the ignominy of becoming the first former chief of the Army to be arrested on the orders of a court that directed yesterday that he be tried for treason for detaining scores of judges after declaring an emergency in 2007.
After fleeing from the Islamabad High Court yesterday, which ordered his arrest, the ex-dictator remained holed up overnight at his farmhouse. He was arrested this morning and taken before the judicial magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah.
His swagger missing, Musharraf, dressed in traditional salwaar kameez and waistcoat appeared before the magistrate in a small courtroom under heavy security. He was directed to be produced before an anti-terrorism court after two days and sent to “transit remand” meanwhile.
Musharraf was moved from the fortified farmhouse to the Police Lines or headquarters in Sector F-11 amidst tight security shortly after 2 pm.
Under the rules, transit remand is meant only for transferring an accused from one court to another, and a person on transit remand must be held in a police station till he is produced in court.
The nearest anti-terrorism courts are in Rawalpindi. Officials decided in the afternoon to move Musharraf to the police headquarters, a high-security complex that is better protected than police stations.
The Law Ministry issued a notification today for setting up an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.
Sources told that after Musharraf is produced in the anti-terrorism court, a move can be initiated to declare his farmhouse a “sub-jail” so that he can be detained there.
Confusion has surrounded the steps taken by police and the caretaker administration since the order to arrest him.
Despite the presence of a large police contingent, Musharraf and his security detailed managed to flee from the court complex.
Throughout the day yesterday, police officials were reluctant to act on the court’s order to arrest Musharraf, apparently because they did not want to annoy the powerful military by acting against a former Army chief.
Caretaker Interior Minister Malik Habib Khan informed the Senate or upper house of parliament this morning that Musharraf’s residence had been declared a “sub-jail” though it subsequently emerged that no formal notification had been issued in this regard by the Islamabad Commissioner.
Other members of the caretaker Government sought to distance themselves from the issue of Musharraf, saying the interim administration had the limited mandate of conducting free and fair polls.
Musharraf’s return to Pakistan has also led to complications for the current army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who may have to decide whether to intervene to protect the former President from being humiliated. (PTI)
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