The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday extended former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's protective bail for six days in the judges' detention case. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, a single-member bench of the IHC, was hearing Musharraf's bail application in which it was requested to grant a two-week extension in bail in the case relating to illegal confinement of 62 judges in Islamabad after the former military ruler declared emergency on November 3, 2007.
The rationale provided was that the former President would be busy with election activities. The court extended the bail till April 18 and ordered Musharraf to submit security bonds worth Rs 500,000. The bench also directed Musharraf to cooperate with Islamabad police and to appear in person before the court in the next hearing.
During the proceedings, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui questioned the former President why had he decided to come directly to the High Court, instead of availing the forum of a sessions court. Malik Qamar Afzal, the counsel for Musharraf, contended that his client had filed the protective bail application in the IHC for security reasons.
The court asked Musharraf's counsel if he could satisfy the court on the hearing about circumstances which barred him (Musharraf) from filing a bail application in the Islamabad Sessions Court. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui went for tea break while Musharraf appeared before the court so the former President was compelled to spend around 20 minutes waiting for the resumption of hearing on his bail application. The lawyer's community staged a protest outside the premises of IHC against the former President and chanted slogans against him.
Musharraf arrived at the IHC amid tight security and after the hearing of bail application he left the court via a back door. The law enforcement agencies blocked all main roads and adjacent lanes leading up to the IHC which caused problems for the commuters and motorists.
Heavy contingents of Islamabad police, Rangers and plainclothesmen as well as officials of intelligence agencies were deployed around the IHC to avoid any untoward event. Snipers took position on rooftops of the court buildings and Musharraf arrived in a black jeep accompanied by a convoy of bodyguards. Musharraf was reportedly wearing a bullet-proof vest. Following the directives of the Additional Session Judge Islamabad, Secretariat Police Station Islamabad had registered a case against Musharraf on August 11, 2009 for illegal confinement of judges.
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