Musharraf granted bail in judges’ detention case

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the judges’ detention case.

The former army strongman was directed to deposit surety bonds worth rupees 500,000.

The case was registered against Musharraf on August 11, 2009 on the complaint of a local advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman for confining over 60 judges of the superior courts after imposing an emergency on November 3, 2007. However, Ghumman had later announced that he would not pursue the case ‘in the larger public interest’.

Moreover, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta today rejected Musharraf's bail application in the Akbar Bugti murder case.

Quetta ATC judge Mohammad Ismail Baloch also rejected Musharraf’s plea to shift the case before the ATC in Islamabad.

“Pervez Musharraf was repeatedly asked to appear before the court of law, but he failed to do so”, Sohail Rajput, Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti's lawyer, told media representatives.

He said Musharraf was the prime accused in Bugti's murder case and different courts had already issued his non-bail arrest warrants in this regard. Rajput added that Musharraf’s bail application was rejected because he did not appear in person before the court.

Earlier on Monday, Musharraf's lawyer, Muhammad Ilyas, had submitted an application before ATC judge seeking bail in Nawab Bugti's case. The court had reserved its judgment on the bail application.

Nawabzada Jamil Bugti,a son of Akbar Bugti, had nominated Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former interior minister Aftab Sherpao, former governor Balochistan Owais Ahmed Ghani in his father's murder.

Balochistan High Court and other subordinate courts have already issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz.

Bugti was killed in a cave in Chalgri area of Bhamboor hills of Dera Bugti district on August 26, 2006 during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.

In related news, Musharraf was exempted from appearing before an ATC in Rawalpindi in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

Benazir was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack in Rawalpindi in December 2007.

Pakistan

Syed Ali Shah is DawnNews' Quetta bureau chief.

He tweets @alishahjourno

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Ex Bugti Man

Jun 11, 2013 12:17pm

Bugti was murderer of his own people. Why do people forget that. His Kith and Kin are still busy pillaging and denying their own tribe any sort of freedom. Bugti tribe people cannot move from one village to another without the permission of the tribe elder. But the Tribe elders and their families themselves enjoy, education, freedom to move in Pakistan and overseas, alcohol, women and gambling. Musharaf did a favour to Bugti people and Pakistan. Judge should get some senses.

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Irfan Baloch

Jun 11, 2013 12:19pm

Oh what a surprise NOT well done Judiciary, you did what you already hinted sometime ago. in the meantime anti state militants & sectarian terrorists walk free to kill more due to "lack of evidence"

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Jun 11, 2013 12:21pm

Akbar Bugti wa fighting for Freedom of Baluchistan...Musharaf has to justify the military action against him....you cant live in pakistan and fight against the country....

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Rashid Sultan

Jun 11, 2013 12:27pm

Is this the end of jarnail sahib as we know it?

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Sayeed Altaf Hussein

Jun 11, 2013 02:48pm

Akbar Bugti was a traitor who took up arms against the government of Pakistan and insight and was involved in terrorist activities. Therefore the punishment of a traitor is death. He deserved what he got. Therefore, there is no case to answer. It is just all a farce.

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muzammil ullah khan

Jun 11, 2013 04:23pm

Well here we are with another bail rejection in Bugti murder case !! The guy committed suicide taking with him some Army Officers who had gone unarmed to negotiate with him . It is so obvious that this is a very politically motivated case where in an ex President has been nominated as a murderer for a case of suicide by a rebel who defied the writ of the Govt and was busy carrying out subversive acts against the state . If we call it justice then we can safely assume that " justice " as is commonly understood in the whole world is now "dead" in Pakistan . It is a free for all by our "honorable" judges .

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Omer

Jun 11, 2013 04:57pm

So in future all law enforcement officers should be ready to go on trial in ATC if they dare act against any terrorists and traitors. Bravo judiciary can handle few LEJ terrorists in ATC trying to act against a former chief of staff. Time is not far when this present CJ will be gone who will give you cover then any ideas wake up and stop playing this judicial cards

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Zain

Jun 11, 2013 05:59pm

Stop wasting public funds on baseless and motivated cases against President Musharaff, it all waste of time knowing that there is no truth in cases. SC immediately release President Musharaff so he can contribute for the welfare of his beloved country Pakistan,

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Zack

Jun 11, 2013 06:20pm

Can anyone enlighten me..why did he killed bhugti, was there a reason for army action or army was just bored!!!

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naeem Syed

Jun 11, 2013 06:29pm

Would Nawabzada Jamil Bugti kindly explain what Nawab Akbar Bugti was doing in the cave at Chalgri and what were the circumstances that the Pakistan Armed Forces had to go after Him? As reported in the Press at that time over 400 Civil and military personnel had been killed in this insurgency led by the late Nawab. He was an Imposing figure and a man of National stature, having held many important posts in the past but had done pitiful little to alleviate the misery of the people of Balochistan. His demand for greater share of the wealth of the Country to develop Balochistan was totally logical but then did he commit the most cardinal sin that a Politician can make was to threaten to break away from the Country? I think he was too smart a Politician to do that but then what was the reason for the Armed Forces to take such drastic Military action against him? I live abroad and have no idea what happened but would like to know so that I can also point at Musharraf and call him a murderer rather than think that he rightly moved to keep the Country intact.

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Mustafa

Jun 11, 2013 08:30pm

Musharraf's fate has probably been decided between America and the Army. Small potatoes like the parliament, judiciary, prime minister and the media are America's minions but taking on the army is a decision they haven't made yet, America's every action in Pakistan eventually relates to our nuclear program.

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Melissa

Jun 11, 2013 08:32pm

I think, it was a very wise decision to kill Akbar Bugti as he was spreading terrorism, hiding in cave and fighting against Pakistani Army as Law does not allows all this. Try to understand, if he had been so honest then Balochistan would not had been in crises which it is so stop crying over his death.

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anon

Jun 11, 2013 09:55pm

Bugti was a problem for Pakistan as a whole and had to be eliminated. He had a private army with military equipment smuggled in the country that was even superior than the army's. The bugti tribe in Balochistan still keeps people under fear and reign of terror.

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Jun 11, 2013 10:21pm

@Ex Bugti Man: I wish that our awam and governement should see that, but no we cannot see that.

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Jun 11, 2013 10:18pm

@Ex Bugti Man: I wish that our awam and governement should see that, but no we cannot see that.

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Aftab Kenneth Wilson

Jun 11, 2013 10:26pm

Bail must have been accepted due to the opening of a very big Pandora Box.

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naeem Syed

Jun 11, 2013 11:36pm

@Ex Bugti Man: I had asked some pointed questions in my Comments this morning but Dawn did not this it fit to publish the. Your comments are on the same line so congrats for having the courage to write. Totally agree with you and would like to request the Judge to stop toeing the Bugti line and dismiss the case.If you need to charge any one charge the Bugti for Sedation.

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Paki USA

Jun 11, 2013 11:51pm

The judges are biased AND afraid of the Bugti nawabs. That's why they would rather order against Musharraf. A non-biased judge would never have ordered an ex-president and ex-prime ministers arrest when under the law they cannot even be prosecuted for an action taken by the military. When was the last time a general, president, prime minister arrested for taking action against those that killed Pak forces? This is an insult to the families of the jawans and all those innocents killed by the bugtis. What a shameful judiciary!

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Tojo

Jun 12, 2013 03:48am

If Bugti was killed in a combat scenario by the Army (which is the Pakistani State Army), how can anyone in his or her right mind hold the General responsible? Pakistani logic is totally irrational when it comes to Gen Musharraf being implicated in such bogus trumped up charge. He did not personally kill or murder Bugti by his own hands, so how can he be held for his murder? This appears to be a pure case of vendetta and using the General as "scapegoat". Bugti should not have been fighting or provoking the country of which he is a common resident. Some would call him a rebel against the national government of Pakistan. The whole case seems ridiculous to say the least. Pakistan must move on ahead to put an end to the 'hidden enemies" that are playing havoc inside Pakistan and stop wasting time and public money on such witch hunt or kangaroo court mischief.

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Zain

Jun 12, 2013 10:07am

@Zain: Though Musy is the enemy of India and being Indian i support India.You people are unluckky that you do not know to respect a person who saved pakistan from destroying.Otherwise Pakistan would have been graveyard.

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Zulfiqar Naqvi

Jun 12, 2013 03:57pm

I salute ex president of Pakistan Pervaiz Musharf and congratulte him to get the bail. He is the only brave man come back to face the cases not like others who moved out from pakistan by agreement only for the sake of his life.

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Murtaza

Jun 13, 2013 01:20am

It seems that all these cases will now quickly fade away, just like the judges detention case. All this was probably carried by the two political parties to keep him away from contesting in the polls. The problem with this country and its people is that they are too naive and have a relative short memory. They tend to forget the woes and situation pakistan was in when Musharraf came and tried to salvage the sinking ship.

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