ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday exempted former president (retired) Gen Pervez Musharraf from appearing in court and ordered the police to produce the former military ruler’s physician at the next hearing of the judges’ detention case.

ATC judge Sohail Ikram summoned Dr Imtiaz Hashmi, who is Mr Musharraf’s physician, on March 25 through the SHO of Secretariat police station.

Public prosecutor Amir Nadeem Tabish argued before the court that the former president has been avoiding the court on medical grounds for over two years now.

He added that the court had dismissed his plea seeking permanent exemption and had issued his non bail-able arrest warrants on September 11, 2015.

He argued that the counsel for Mr Musharraf submits the same report at every hearing to justify the “deliberate” absence of the accused. The counsel then requested the court to summon Dr Hashmi to ascertain the authenticity of the medical report.

ATC Judge Ikram then asked a court official to call the physician on the number given on the medical report but the call went through to an operator who said the doctor was out of the hospital.

The court then directed SHO Secretariat to procure the attendance of the physician at the next hearing.

The judges’ detention case is based on an FIR against the retired general registered on August 11, 2009 on the complaint of Advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2016