Musharraf flees after Pakistani court orders his arrest

The court cancelled his interim bail and ordered his arrest, but Pervez Musharraf, who was in the court at the time, managed to leave the court with his security guards.

He is now consulting legal advice in a farm house, surrounded by heavy security.

In a statement his spokesman Dr Raza Bokhari described the arrest as “unwarranted judicial activism, seemingly motivated by personal vendettas” and warning that the court’s decision could “result in unnecessary tension amongst the various pillars of State and possibly destabilise the country.”

A case had been filed against the former president for placing dozens of top judges under house arrest when he imposed emergency rule and suspended the constitution in November 2007.

The former president had been under self-imposed exile in Britain and the UAE for four years, and returned to take part in the 11 May parliamentary elections for his All Pakistan Muslim League party, despite the possibility of arrest on various charges and death threats from the Pakistani Taliban. But election officials had barred Musharraf from running for the National Assembly earlier this week, effectively derailing his attempts to regain a place in politics.

The Islamabad High Court had granted interim bail in the case and the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqi cancelled his bail when he appeared before the Chief Justice on Thursday.

Supporters of the former president criticised the arrest order. “This is a great injustice to us. The courts are not giving just decisions,” said Asif Ali Shah Bokhari. “President Pervez Musharraf had come here for us. We do not accept what is happening. We will give our lives for General Pervez Musharraf.”

Mr Musharraf has been tweeting regularly since his return to Pakistan, including one picture of an early morning workout.

Starting my day with a workout. Feel very energized. PM twitter.com/P_Musharraf/stâ?¦

— Pervez Musharraf (@P_Musharraf) March 28, 2013

Tight security

Mr Musharraf was brought to the court in a bullet-proof jeep under tight security. Dozens of paramilitary soldiers and a large number of police were deployed outside and inside the court’s premises.

A group of lawyers chanted slogans against the former president as he arrived in the court’s premises. Dozens of Mr Musharraf’s supporters were also at the court’s promise.

Security forces were deployed to avoid any clash between supporters and rivals of Musharraf.

Mr Musharraf is also facing other legal cases, including treason charges for imposing emergency rule, the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and the killing of a Baloch leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006.

The former president, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, denied all charges and said he will defend himself in courts.

He resigned in August 2008 to avoid impeachment by the parliament and then went into exile.