Pakistan's Musharraf flees court after judges order his arrest
Court orders Musharraf's arrest in judges
house arrest case, ex-president flees from premises.
Former president Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: AFP
(Reuters) - Former President Pervez Musharraf fled a courtroom on Thursday after
judges ordered his arrest to answer allegations he committed treason in 2007, an
ignominious retreat for a man who once dominated
Pakistan and had hoped to revive his
political fortunes.
Pakistani television broadcast footage of
Musharraf dashing from Islamabad High Court in a black SUV as several lawyers
made half-hearted attempts to pursue his vehicle - a scene that would have been
unthinkable when Musharraf was at the height of his powers.
It was another blow to his hopes of
resurrecting his political career after election officers barred him from
standing at next month's general elections, in part due to the various legal
challenges he faces. The bid had garnered widespread popular scorn.
Musharraf retreated to a farm in an
exclusive residential estate on the outskirts of Islamabad where police set up a
cordon restricting access to the area. It was unclear whether the officers were
preparing to detain him.
As police moved to seal off access,
Mohammad Amjad, Musharraf's spokesman, called a news conference to announce that
his lawyers would petition the Supreme Court on Friday to withdraw the
order.
"We will file an appeal against the arrest
order in the Supreme Court tomorrow," Amjad said. He added that Musharraf was
"composed and in good spirits".
The high court's order pushed Pakistan's
increasingly audacious judiciary into uncharted territory, challenging a
long-standing, unwritten rule that the top ranks of the army, which ruled
Pakistan for decades, are untouchable.
Despite Taliban death threats and a host
of legal challenges, Musharraf returned from almost four years of self-imposed
exile in London and Dubai last month in the hope of winning a seat in the
National Assembly at the May 11 polls.
But his arrival has placed him at the
mercy of judges whose memories are still raw of the showdown in 2007 when he
sacked the chief justice, placed his colleagues under house arrest, and lawyers
fought running battles with police.
On Thursday, a judge ordered his arrest in
connection with allegations he committed treason when he declared emergency rule
during his 2007 confrontation with the judges, a move his opponents believe
violated the constitution.
HUMILIATING SPECTACLE
Judges piled more pressure on Musharraf
later on Thursday when they summoned the head of Islamabad police to explain how
he was able to flee the court without being detained.
Some commentators believe that it is
unlikely Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and resigned in 2008, will
be arrested since the military would be unlikely to tolerate such a humiliating
spectacle for a retired chief.
"I don't think the military establishment
would support any move against him," said Mehdi Hasan, a newspaper
columnist.
The military made no immediate comment on
the arrest order.
Although Musharraf's legal battles have
provided an electrifying sideshow in the election race, he commands scant
popular support and the outcome of the drama is unlikely to have much impact on
the final results.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the
man Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999, is seen as the frontrunner to become
prime minister.
Pakistan's military has ruled the nation
for more than half of its 66-year history, through coups or from behind the
scenes. It sets foreign and security policy even when civilian administrations
are in power.
Pakistan's judiciary has, however, taken
an increasingly assertive stance in recent years in confrontations with both the
government and the army, and the arrest order against a former army chief is
sure to rankle some in the military.
Musharraf's decision to return has
mystified many Pakistanis, with commentators questioning whether he misjudged
the degree of popular support he might be able to muster.
Musharraf faces charges of failing to
provide adequate security for former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before she
was assassinated in late 2007.
He also faces accusations in connection
with the death of a separatist leader in the southwestern province of
Baluchistan. He denies any wrongdoing.
(Additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari
and Matthew Green; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sonya Hepinstall)
