Musharraf gets bail in Akbar Bugti murder case

Islamabad: Former president General Pervez Musharraf has been granted bail by a High Court in Pakistan in connection with the death of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti This move will pave way for his release from house arrest. Musharraf also has to pay two bonds worth Rs. 1 million each as surety. He would be free once the paperwork is done, said his lawyer Ahmad Raza Qasuri. He has been granted bail earlier in two cases, one being the assassination of Benzair Bhutto in 2007 and the other being second being Akbar Bugti case by Federal Investigation Agency for masterminding a conspiracy to assassinations of Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bugti. A prison official at Musharraf's home, Shehzad Riaz, said he was aware of the court's decision but was awaiting orders from his superiors. A Ministry of Interior spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. Qasuri said he does not know what Musharraf's immediate plans are but said he'll be free to leave the country if he wants. “He's a free person. He can move around,” Qasuri said. “If he wants to go to Dubai tomorrow to see his mother who is 90 he can.” Mohammed Amjad, the secretary-general for Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League party, told a news conference in front of Musharraf's house that Musharraf had no immediate plan to leave the country and even if he does, he'll come back to Pakistan to face all the cases against him. “He will not escape from Pakistan,” said Amjad. Musharraf returned from exile in March intending to run in the upcoming elections. But he was immediately ordered detained over the pending cases. He was also barred by a court from running for office for the rest of his life, and his political party fared poorly in the May election. The images of Musharraf facing justice like any other Pakistani citizen have been stunning in a country where the military has taken power in three coups and wielded enormous power even under civilian governments. For security reasons he has been held at his lavish estate on the suburbs of Islamabad instead of a jail. Pakistani security forces have been protecting the estate following threats he received from the Taliban upon his return. Musharraf is reviled by the militants because he launched a series of attacks against their bases in the tribal areas near Afghanistan and for ordering a raid against a hard-line mosque in Islamabad in 2007. Police are also investigating his role in the operation against the mosque that killed nearly 100 people.