ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been issued with a non-bailable arrest warrant by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan, for his failure to appear before the court in the 2007 judges' detention case. The 72 year old, was, however, not present before the court as he undergoes purported treatment in Dubai.
ATC Judge Sohail Ikram expressed his displeasure at the absence of the former president, saying he should have sought permission from the court before proceeding abroad. The court remained unsatisfied with Musharraf's lawyer Akhtar Shah's argument saying he went out of the country after he was allowed by the government. It also rejected contention of state prosecutor Amir Nadeem Tabish that government allowed Musharraf to leave after orders of the Supreme Court.
A non-bailable arrest warrant against Musharraf was later issued. The order is, however, most unlikely to be executed as several times in the past various courts issued orders to produce Musharraf but he easily dodged them citing security and health reasons. The same court had issued such an order in September last year but withdrew when Musharraf refused to appear and instead sent a medical certificate that he was unwell. Musharraf ruled from 1999 to 2008 when he stepped down. He lived abroad for most of the time until his return in 2013 to contest elections but was implicated in several high- profile cases and was not allowed to leave the country.
The ex-army chief faces a slew of court cases after returning from five years of self-exile in Dubai. He also faces trial in high treason case for abrogating the constitution in 2007 and illegal detention of judges same year.
