ISLAMABAD: If preparations are any indication, former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf is unlikely to appear on Thursday (today) before the special court set up for his high treason trial, Dawn has learnt from police sources. According to them, security arrangements made in and around the court are not adequate.

A senior police officer said that according to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), preparations such as security arrangements, route and escort duties, deployment of personnel and duty rosters were made a day before VVIP movements.

Although Gen Musharraf is not entitled to VVIP protocol or security, he is being provided such facility because of threats to his life posed by militants.

“So far no directive has been issued to police for security of the former military ruler, but they are prepared to provide it even at the eleventh hour,” the officer said. But such arrangements at the eleventh hour, he added, might lead to difficulties in assigning a route and posting personnel there. He said making security arrangements at the venue (special court) was much easier than clearing the route and deploying personnel there.

Another police officer said that till Wednesday night no plan was prepared to receive Gen Musharraf at the entry of Islamabad and transport him to the special court at the National Library under police escort.

“Neither any route has been selected for the former president’s movement nor any roster made for the deployment of personnel,” he said, adding that police would follow the pervious security plan if a fresh directive was not issued.

The officer said that about 25 of the 35 containers placed around the library building and its wall for security purposes had been removed after their owners took them away with the permission of the capital administration.

One container owner told Dawn that 25 to 30 containers had been taken back by their owners.