Pakistani police ordered to open case against Musharraf

Aug 10, 2009, 10:04 GMT

   Islamabad - A Pakistani court on Monday ordered the police to open a case of wrongful confinement against former President Pervez Musharraf, for allegedly detaining judges after illegally imposing emergency rule in late 2007.

   Judge Akmal Khan made the ruling in Islamabad after an attorney complained that police were reluctant to charge the former military strongman.

   Advocate Aslam Ghumman accused Musharraf of illegally confining more than 60 judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, to their homes and preventing them from carrying out their duties.

   Musharraf suspended the constitution in November 2007 and removed those judges who refused to take oath under a controversial provisional order.

   The emergency rule, which was seen as a move to pre-empt his disqualification by the court from holding the president's office for a second term while in uniform, marked the demise of the former dictator who came to power in a 1999 military coup.

   Musharraf resigned as president in August 2008 under the threat of impeachment by a coalition government formed by his political opponents, led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the widower of slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari.

   Zardari became the president within a month of Musharraf's ouster.

   A 14-judge panel of the Supreme Court, headed by Chaudhry, on July 31 declared Musharraf's emergency rule decision illegal and unconstitutional.

   The judgment left the former president exposed to a trial on treason charges, if the government appealed.

   Musharraf is believed to be residing in London and is scheduled to visit the United States in September to deliver lectures.