Ghazi murder: Musharraf granted exemption for today

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad resumed hearing the murder case of former prayer leader of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and approved the exemption plea filed by the accused General (retd) Pervez Musharraf from today’s hearing and summoned him on July 23, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

The court had summoned Musharraf’s guarantors in the previous hearing and instructed them to must produce former president during today’s hearing and warned of strict action on non-compliance.

Additional Session Judge Wajid Ali Khan was hearing the Ghazi murder case today during which Musharraf’s lawyer Akhtar Shah submitted a plea seeking exemption from today’s proceedings. The plea stated that Musharraf could not appear in the court due to security concerns and requested for exemption.

The lawyer further confirmed that the plea has been filed for today’s exemption only and not on permanent basis. He further stated that his client could not move as per his medical report, therefore, the case should be deferred for three weeks.

Following the lawyer’s arguments, Musharraf’s medical report was also submitted in the court that has been prepared by a team of five doctors of the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi.

Later, the court accepted the exemption plea and summoned him on July 23 along with his two guarantors.

On June 12, the court had summoned former president and accused in the case in today’s hearing, however, Musharraf did not appear in today’s hearing as well.

The court had dismissed Musharraf’s exemption plea for June 12 and summoned him on July 1.

The counsel of Musharraf, Major (retd) Akhtar Shah had apprised the court that doctors has strictly forbidden him from traveling, however, if adequate security arrangements had been made, he would have reached the court by availing the next flight to Islamabad.

The counsel also presented Musharraf’s medical report in the court on which the prosecutor and applicant’s lawyer raised objections.

While raising objections, the applicant’s lawyer Abdul Haq Malik termed the report as a mere piece of paper and said that the report didn’t include the details of Musharraf’s hospital and the medicines he was using.

The court, later, rejected the exemption plea filed by Musharraf’s lawyer and ordered him to appear by any means on July 1.

Judge Wajid Ali had already rejected Musharraf’s petition seeking permanent exemption in the Ghazi murder case.