ISLAMABAD: District and Session Judge Kamran Busharat Mufti on Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the case pertaining to the murder of former Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed.

The court also rejected a plea requesting complete exemption for Musharraf from appearing in the court.

Police has been ordered to arrest the former president and present him in court for the next hearing of the case which was adjourned until July 24.

The judge also directed Musharraf's guarantors to ensure his presence in court in the next hearing.

He warned of action against the guarantors and confiscation of the bail money submitted, in case the former military ruler does not appear in court.

Earlier in April, a local court in Islamabad had also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Musharraf over his failure to appear in the court despite repeated summons.

Know more: Cleric murder case: Non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Musharraf

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.

During the proceedings, counsel for the former president moved an application in the court requesting complete exemption for Musharraf from appearing in the court as he was not well.

Take a look: Musharraf undergoes medical check-up

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.

Also read: Musharraf challenges non-bailable arrest warrants

In 2013, police had registered a case against Musharraf over the alleged murder of cleric Rasheed and his wife during the Lal Masjid military operation.

Musharraf faces a string of court cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, including the death of Ghazi, one of more than 100 people killed after Pakistani troops stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad on July 10, 2007.

He faces treason charges over his imposition of emergency rule in 2007 – a historic first in a country ruled for half its existence by the military.

He further faces murder accusations over the 2006 death of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

In June, the Supreme Court suspended a decision which would have allowed Musharraf to leave the country.