ISLAMABAD: Former president Pervez Musharraf on Friday challenged the non-bailable arrest warrants issued in his name by an Islamabad sessions court.

On April 2, 2015, additional district and sessions judge Wajid Ali issued the warrants for Gen Musharaf over his repeated absence in the murder trial of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi.

In his petition, filed through advocate Malik Tariq, the former military ruler contended that police had declared him innocent after a thorough investigation in the case and had placed his name in column 2 of the investigation report, prepared under section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and commonly known as the case challan.

Says he appeared before a medical board the day court issued warrants

The petition stated that on April 2, Gen Musharraf had to appear before a medical board constituted to ascertain his health under the directions of a Quetta anti-terrorism court (ATC), where the Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti murder case is pending adjudication. Following the ATC’s order, the Balochistan secretary health constituted a nine-member medical board consisting of surgeons, cardiologists, ENT specialists and physicians to examine the former military ruler.

According to the documents attached with the petition, the medical board includes Dr Jamil Ahmed Khan, Dr Khalid Shah, Dr Shamimah Hanif, Dr Dawood Shah, Dr Abid Amin Khan, Dr Latif Kakar, Dr Masood Qazi, Dr Naqeebullah Achakzai and Dr Saleem Barech.

The medical board has been asked to ascertain whether Gen Musharaf is suffering from a disease and whether or not he is fit to travel.

The petition requested the court to set aside the non-bailable arrest warrants. A single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) headed by Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi is expected to hear the petition on Monday.

Aabpara Police had, in Sept 2013, registered an FIR against Gen Musharraf for his alleged role in the murder of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and his mother. The case was registered on the orders of the IHC, on a petition filed by Haroonur Rashid, the cleric’s son.

The former military ruler was booked under sections 302 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), relating to murder and abetment.

It states that Gen Musharraf had ordered a military operation in Lal Masjid, during the course of which, Abdul Rasheed and his mother were killed along with scores of others.

In October 2013, police submitted a challan to the sessions court, declaring Gen Musharraf innocent and left him at the mercy of the court.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2015

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