ISLAMABAD: Former president retired General Pervez Musharraf is unlikely to appear before the special court in the high treason case on Friday as his counsel is reported to be considering to file another application seeking his exemption from attending the proceedings.

The retired general is in the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology since Jan 2 when he reported a cardiac problem while on his way to the special court.

On Jan 31, the special court issued bailable arrest warrants for Gen Musharraf and observed that his absence from the hearing was deliberate.

Retired Gen Rashid Qureshi, a close aide of Musharraf, has deposited surety bonds of Rs2.5 million under protest and his counsel challenged the issuance of arrest warrants before the special court and the Supreme Court.

Sources in the defence legal team said that Gen Musharraf had challenged the jurisdiction of the special court and, therefore, it was not appropriate for him to face the trial unless the issue of jurisdiction of the court was decided.

Musharraf has contended in his petition that his absence from the trial court was neither intentional nor deliberate, but the registrar announced an order on Jan 31 about the issuing of the warrants before a decision on applications questioning the formation, jurisdiction and the order of the federal government to appoint the special court.

Since it had not been announced in an open court, neither the petitioner nor any agency was bound to obey the order that was issued without jurisdiction or authority, the petition said.

It alleged that the action to serve the arrest warrants by police to Gen Musharraf had been taken without any authority because they were delivered through an incompetent person.

Meanwhile, the Ex-Servicemen Legal Forum, an association of soldiers-turned-lawyers, on Thursday wrote a letter to the AFIC commandant for discharging Gen Musharraf from the AFIC.

The All Pakistan Muslim League has announced to hold countrywide protests from Feb 7 against the trial of its leader.

APML spokesman Chaudhry Asad Mehmood said the protests had been planned initially in 11 cities, including Islamabad.