A police team today visited former President Pervez Musharraf’s farmhouse, declared a “sub-jail” by authorities, and questioned him about the detention of more than 60 judges during the emergency of 2007.
The five-member police team led by SP Sardar Sadaqat Ali Khan visited Musharraf’s farmhouse at Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of Islamabad at 11 am. The team recorded Musharraf’s statement and his response to charges levelled against him in the case that led to his arrest this morning. Officials arrested the 69-year-old former military ruler at his farmhouse this morning, a day after Musharraf fled from the Islamabad high court when a judge revoked his bail and directed police to detain him.
Following his arrest, Musharraf was produced before a judicial magistrate who remanded him to custody for two days. The magistrate also directed the police to produce Musharraf in an anti-terrorism court as the Islamabad high court had ruled that he should be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act for detaining judges during the 2007 emergency.
Caretaker interior minister Malik Habib Khan confirmed that Musharraf had been arrested and was in the custody of authorities. Speaking in the Senate or Upper House of Parliament, Khan said Musharraf’s residence had been declared a “sub-jail”.
In a related development, the law ministry issued a notification for setting up an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad. District and sessions judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi was given additional charge of this court, officials told the media. It is expected that the new anti-terrorism court will handle Musharraf’s case. The federal capital does not have any anti-terrorism courts and all terrorism cases are usually referred to courts in Rawalpindi.
However, Musharraf described the allegations against him as “politically motivated” and said he would fight them in court. In a message posted on his Facebook page, he said the high court’s order for his arrest was “unwarranted”.