A Pakistani court ordered the arrest of former president Pervez Musharraf
on Thursday in connection with charges relating to his showdown with the
judiciary in 2007 when he was still in power, television channels and one of
his aides said.
The former army chief returned to Pakistan
last month after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest a May 11
general election, despite the possibility of arrest on various charges and
death threats from the Pakistani Taliban.
Election officials had barred Musharraf from running for the National
Assembly earlier this week, effectively derailing his attempts to regain a
place in politics by standing at the polls.
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 win the premiership.
"Islamabad High Court has canceled Musharraf's bail and ordered
his arrest in the judges' detention case today," Mohammad Amjad,
secretary-general of Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League party, told
Reuters.
Islamabad High Court ordered Musharraf be detained in connection with
allegations that he committed treason when he sacked senior judges and declared
emergency rule as he struggled to hold on to power. Critics said he acted
unconstitutionally.
Police made no immediate move to enforce the arrest order and Musharraf
left the court flanked by his personal bodyguards.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment