Pakistan’s former military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has contacted the top military leadership, including his successor General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, to get him out of trouble after he became the first former Army Chief to suffer the humiliation of arrest.
Gen. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, is under arrest in Islamabad for illegally detaining judges after sacking them in 2007. “Musharraf is in contact with the top military leadership through his associates and is seeking help for his release,” a source said. He said Gen. Musharraf has asked the top military leadership to intervene immediately, before “tensions between state institutions” grow worse.
Gen. Musharraf’s close associate, Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi (Retd), said the “top military leadership” will “come into action” as the former ruler is being “denied justice”.
On Thursday, the Islamabad high court cancelled Gen. Musharraf’s bail application and ordered his arrest. On Friday, he was transferred from his Chak Shahzad farmhouse to Islamabad Police HQ.
“Enough is enough. Judicial activism will not be tolerated anymore,” Gen. Qureshi said. “We will fight legally, morally and politically against injustice in Pakistan,” he said.
Another close Musharraf aide said the ex-President constantly received calls from military leaders, both serving and retired. “The situation shall hopefully improve by next week as Musharraf will get bail,” he said.