A court in Pakistan Friday provided a major relief to former military ruler Parvez Musharraf by granting him pre-arrest bail in several cases registered against him.

Islamabad, March 22/Nationalturk – Paving way for his return to the country, a court in Pakistan Friday granted former military ruler Parvez Musharraf pre-arrest bail in several cases registered against him.

According to Pakistan newspaper, Express Tribune, the Sindh High Court granted a 10 day bail period for the former president.

The cases in which the former military ruler has been granted bail include the Benazir Bhutto murder case, the case on the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and one pertaining to the deposing of Supreme Court judges.

Musharraf, who is on self-exile since 2009, is likely to return to Pakistan on March 24. The court judgement has cleared his return to the country as he won’t have any fears anymore of being arrested on landing in country.

Reacting to the court’s ruling, Mushrraf tweeted, “I am happy to learn Sindh High Court has granted me relief by authorising pre-arrest bail in all the politically motivated cases filed against me.”

“He has full protection now and cannot be arrested by government in these cases on his arrival in the country,” Musharraf’s lawyer Salman Safdar said.

A spokesman of Musharraf’s party – All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) – was not willing to divulge any details about Musharraf’s return. “We are hopeful that he will return on the day as already announced by him,” he said.

The 69-year-old Musharraf, who seized power in 1999 and left the country after stepping down in 2008, has said he intends to return to Pakistan to lead his party in the upcoming polls. He has been shuttling between London and Dubai after he went out of Pakistan in exile.

The anti-terrorism in Pakistan court had declared Musharraf a fugitive and issued arrest warrants for him after he refused to cooperate with investigators probing Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

Saudi officials warn Musharraf not to return

Media reports said Saudi officials have advised Musharraf not to return to Pakistan, citing danger.

Musharraf travelled to Saudi Arabia yesterday to perform Umrah.

An unnamed delegate travelling with him was quoted by Pakistan Newspaper, The News as saying that Saudi officials had told Musharraf that he should consider postponing his return to Pakistan.

“The Saudis are concerned that Musharraf will be putting himself in the way of danger if he returns to Pakistan as planned. The situation in Pakistan, especially in the coming days, is going to be completely hostile to him,” the delegate was quoted as saying.

They said Saudi officials , including intelligence officials,  held meetings with him in Dubai and told him that the Kingdom thought that Musharraf should review his plan and not fall to emotional tinge.

Musharraf had set several dates for his return to Pakistan in the past but put off his homecoming after he was threatened with arrest.

 

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

 

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