ATC gives one-day exemption from appearance to Musharraf

• Agencies

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday approved plea for former president Pervez Musharraf’s exemption from appearance in the judges’ detention case. ATC judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi was hearing the case. During the case proceedings, the court was informed that Musharraf’s counsel Ilyas Siddiqui is busy in Supreme Court, thus, one day exemption from appearance should be granted to his client. The court approved the plea and directed that the accused must appear in the next hearing. The case hearing was adjourned till December 19. The case over the detention of the judges is based on an FIR filed against the former military ruler in August 2009. The FIR itself is based on a complaint by a lawyer named Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Ghumman. Ghumman had asked police to initiate proceedings against Musharraf for detaining over 60 judges, including former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, after imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. The case is one of three against Musharraf in courts within Pakistan. Moreover, District and Session Court would hear a case today against former president Pervez Musharraf involving murders of Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and his mother. Additional Session Judge Wajid Ali Khan will take up the case in which Advocate Tariq Asad and Malik Abdul Haq will represent Haroon Rashid Ghazi while Advocate Akhtar Shah will represent Pervez Musharraf. The court while directing IG in last hearing to tight security asked the former president to appear before the court on December 6 otherwise strict action would be taken. Advocate Asad said he will try to get bail of Pervez Musharraf cancelled in case of non-appearance before the court. It is vital to mention here that the court has summoned the former president for twenty three times but he did not appear once. District and Session Judge West Nazir Ahmed four days ago while stopping Additional and Session Judge Wajid Ali Khan to hear the case against Pervez Musharraf, asked him to transfer it to Additional Session Judge Ata Rabbani. However, later he cancelled his previous decision asking Wajid Ali Khan to continue to hear the case against the former president.