Orders by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday to put former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf behind bars may jeopardise the on-going election process in Pakistan, political analysts fear.
In a dramatic development, the IHC rejected former president Musharraf’s bail plea in judges’ detention case and ordered his arrest.
Musharraf, however, left the court premises along with his personal security guards and avoided arrest.
Eyewitnesses said after the court’s orders, the police did not try to arrest former military ruler and he left the court premises along with his protocol officers. Authorities have also blocked all entry points leading to the residence of former ruler in Chak Shahzad.
Hasan Askari, a renowned political commentator said the court’s orders would create uncertainty over the upcoming elections.
“I thought that the courts would deal with the issue after the elections, but in present circumstances different institutions are moving in different directions,” Askari said, adding if this issue moved further, it would have negative repercussions on the election process.
Askari said various institutions should show restraint as the country was going through a very difficult phase in its history.
Prominent lawyer Justice (r) Wajiuddin Ahmad said nobody should be dealt with contempt, adding there was no harm if the former president was kept under house arrest.
Salman Akram Raja, another constitutional lawyer, said that it was not necessary or binding to arrest any accused from the court room.
Former chief justice (r) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui said Musharraf should have surrendered following the verdict given by Islamabad High Court.
He said the court ordered Musharraf’s arrest because his bail was not approved, but that did not make him an accused.
He added that no arrest was ever made inside the court room.
Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a distinguished lawyer and counsel for Musharraf, said the IHC orders were issued to please anti-Musharraf lawyers, adding that the orders were given without listening to Mushrraf’s contention.
PML-N leader Pervez Rasheed said police should immediately put Musharraf behind bars, adding that nobody should be above the law.
He said Musharraf was an accused earlier and had now become an absconder.
Governor Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood also said that court orders should be complied with.
PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said Musharraf was now a proclaimed offender and the government must arrest him immediately. He said the former military dictator abrogated the constitution and destroyed the whole system for eight years.
He said if other former rulers could go to Adiyala Jail, there was no justification to keep him under house arrest at his farm house.
PPP leader and former opposition leader in Punjab Assembly, Raja Riaz, said appearance of a former dictator in the court was victory of the judiciary.
He demanded arrest of Musharraf and action against officials on security duty.