Lal Masjid murder case: Bail submitted, Musharraf to walk free

An additional sessions judge submitted a written order granting the release of former president Pervez Musharraf in the murder case of cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed during the Lal Masjid operation.

Musharraf’s bail of two surety bonds of Rs. 0.1 million each was submitted to the court earlier on Wednesday.

The judge said a police joint investigation had deemed the evidence insufficient, declaring Musharraf innocent.

Musharraf’s farmhouse – that had been notified as a sub jail earlier – will be cleared and the jail staff that was guarding it will leave.

On November 4, a trial court had granted Musharraf his request for bail in connection with the murder as there was not enough evidence linking him to the crime.

Musharraf was arrested on October 10 on the order of Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the alleged murder of the deputy cleric of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and his mother during a military operation in 2007. The ex-president had filed an application before the Additional District and Sessions Court and sought bail in this case.

During the course of hearing on October 30, attorneys from both the sides completed their arguments and judgment had been reserved till November 1. The hearing had further been delayed to November 4 to allow the prosecution more time to collect evidence.

General Musharraf’s counsel, Ilyas Siddiqui, had maintained that his client was wrongly implicated in the case as the First Information Report (FIR) was based on malafide intentions.

Advocate Tariq Asad, representing the prosecution, termed the court’s decision unlawful, adding that they fully intend to challenge this decision.

Source: PakistanToday