ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered the arrest of Pakistan’s former president, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
 
Pervez Musharraf appeared before the Islamabad High Court on Thursday to seek a bail extension in the judges’ confinement case, however his plea was dismissed. During proceedings of the case, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui remarked that Musharraf was accused of destroying the judicial system. The court ordered that the charge of terrorism be added in the case.
 
Pervez Musharraf immediately left the court and drove to his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad escorted by his security personnel. Police are guarding the main gate of Pervez Musharraf’s farmhouse and have blocked off access to the street.
 
IHC ISSUES DETAILED ORDER
 
The Islamabad High Court has issued its detailed order regarding the rejection of Pervez Musharraf’s bail extension.
 
The court has taken notice of Musharraf’s fleeing from the court premises and summoned Inspector General Police Islamabad. The court said that Musharraf’s fleeing was a separate crime.
 
The IG Islamabad has been asked to explain what measures were taken regarding the arrest of Musharraf and what action will be taken against those officers who failed to arrest him from the court’s premises.
 
PRE-ARREST BAIL NOT SUBMITTED
 
Musharraf’s lawyers could not submit a pre-arrest bail petition against his arrest orders by the Islamabad High Court in the Judges’ confinement case on Thursday. The petition could not be submitted as the court’s hours of operation had expired.
 
Pervez Musharraf’s lawyer Advocate Ibrahim Satti said the advocate on-record had taken the petition to the Supreme Court but could not submit it as the court’s working hours had expired.
 
Satti added that the Registrar Supreme Court and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry were attending the full court meeting and petition will be filed in the Supreme Court on Friday.
 
APML RESPONSE
 
“Former President Musharraf earlier today appeared in Islamabad High Court in a procedural matter to seek extension in his transitory bail, which was due to expire today, April 18, 2013. The Judge, in an unprecedented move, took an unwarranted decision to reject the extension request.
 
The augmented State Security Apparatus assigned to President Musharraf in the face of specific and credible physical threats to his life by the enemies of Pakistan escorted the Former President to his home in Islamabad.
 
The Former President is filing an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against this ill-conceived decision of Islamabad High Court. We expect this unwarranted judicial activism, motivated by personal vendettas since his return to Pakistan to participate in the upcoming elections, will cease and the Supreme Court, without prejudice, will immediately grant necessary relief following precedence and the Rule of Law; the absence of which will cause mockery of the nation, can result in unnecessary tension amongst the various pillars of State and possibly destabilize the country.”
 
BACKGROUND
 
The judges’ confinement case stems from the detainment of several top judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during the imposition of emergency by the former president in Pakistan on November 3, 2007.
 
Pervez Musharraf returned to Pakistan to contest general elections last month. His nomination papers from four constituencies were rejected by Election Tribunals earlier this week.
 
Musharraf is also accused in the Benzair Bhutto murder case and was granted interim bail till April 24 by the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench.