Former president Pervez Musharraf on Friday moved the Islamabad High Court, challenging the cancellation of his bail by the anti terrorism court in the judges’ detention case.
In his petition, filed through his counsel Ilyas Siddiqui, Musharraf said being a former president, he could not be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the charges levelled against him were bailable.
“The petitioner was supreme commander of the armed forces and was president of Pakistan and a president cannot be a terrorist,” the petitioner said, adding that in any case, none of the provisions of the Anti Terrorism Act was applicable in the case.
He said no order or evidence was available on record that said the petitioner was the person who had detained the judges of the superior judiciary or had put them under restraint.
He said even the complainant had withdrawn the allegations and had addressed a press conference showing his reluctance to pursue the case.
“That petitioner moved the Islamabad High Court for pre-arrest bail where certain observations were passed by the single judge in chamber of the IHC and the observations made by the single judge influenced the trial court hearing the petition for bail after arrest,” the petitioner said.
The counsel said there was no apprehension that the petitioner would abscond or tamper with the prosecution evidence.
“The petitioner is ready to furnish an adequate surety bond to the satisfaction of this court,” he pledged.
He said Musharraf was no more required for further investigation so the petition for bail should be accepted until final disposal of the case.
