Pakistan anti-terror court exempts Musharraf on medical grounds

Islamabad: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan on Monday granted exemption to former president Pervez Musharraf on medical grounds from appearing before the court in Monday’s hearing in the judges’ detention case. [caption id=“attachment_1361091” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf.[/caption] ATC judge Atiqur Rahman heard the detention case, in which Musharraf’s guarantor appeared before the court, Dawn online reported. Ilyas Siddiqui, Musharraf’s attorney, presented the medical report in which it was mentioned that the former army chief could not attend the hearing due to a heart ailment. Subsequently, the Islamabad court, while giving exemption to Musharraf for Monday, adjourned the case hearing till 10 February. The case was filed against Musharraf for confining more than 60 judges of the superior court after imposing emergency on 3 November, 2007. On 11 August, 2009 the case was filed by Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman, an advocate, who later announced that he would not pursue the case “in the larger public interest”. “It is up to the state and the court whether they wanted to keep this case alive,” he said. The announcement to withdraw the case by Ghumman did not give any relief to the former military ruler. On 17 January, the ATC, noting that Musharraf repeatedly remained absent from the proceedings, ordered the former president to personally appear before it on 27 January. The ATC judge had also directed the interior ministry as well as the guarantors of Musharraf to appear before the court on Monday. IANS