Pervez Musharraf arrested, granted 2-day transit remand

THE FRONTIER POST

The judicial magistrate’s court on Friday granted ex-military leader Pervez Musharraf two days transit remand after he was arrested over charges related to judges confinement, officials said. Section 6 of anti-terrorism has also been added in the FIR against Pervez Musharraf. The Islamabad High Court had on Thursday ordered his arrest over his controversial decision to dismiss judges when he imposed emergency rule in 2007. It was the latest humiliating blow for the retired general, in power from 1999 to 2008, who promised to "save" the troubled nation and contest the May 11 vote after returning from four years of self-imposed exile. "General Musharraf has been sent on a two-day judicial remand and he will stay at his farmhouse," a spokesman for his All Pakistan Muslim League party told. The court has declared his Chak Shahzad farmhouse as sub-jail where he will be confined for the next two days. An official at the magistrate’s court in Islamabad confirmed the order. According to Private News Channel, Pervez Musharraf along with his team of lawyers appeared before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah’s court today morning under strict security. At the occasion, lawyers chanted slogans against Musharraf. Musharraf’s lawyer pleaded the judicial magistrate to declare him judicial as his client has threats to his life. Musharraf waited in the court’s premises in his car and left for his residence after a while. APML spokesman Muhammad Amjad 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, denying media reports that he had been arrested prior to going to court. Musharraf walked into the court wearing a traditional shalwar kamiz and surrounded by police and paramilitary. His team said they would seek bail in the Supreme Court later Friday. Musharraf is also accused of conspiracy to murder PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and over the death of Akbar Bugti during a 2006 military operation. He had been granted bail repeatedly since his homecoming on March 24.