ISLAMABAD: The AFIC administration’s insistence on getting a written undertaking from the police to take former president Pervez Musharraf to the special court and bring him back safe and sound delayed his arrival in the court on Tuesday morning, sources in the interior ministry and the police told Dawn.

The sources said a team of the capital police headed by SP security Chaudhry Mohammad Ashfaq reached AFIC in the morning to take the former president to the special court. All security measures, including deployment of police personnel on the route, were made. SSP security Malik Matloob had also reached Koral Chowk to lead the convoy of the former president to the court in Islamabad.

However, Maj-Gen Syed Imran Majeed, the deputy commandant AFIC, asked the SP to submit a written undertaking before taking Musharraf out of the hospital, the sources said. Mr Majeed said the undertaking should state that he (SP) was briefed about the health and illness of Musharraf along with the seriousness of his condition. “The SP was also asked to give an assurance that he was taking the former president to the court on his own responsibility and risk and would bring him back to the AFIC in the same condition in which he was being taken out of the hospital,” the sources added.

When the SP asked about the need for the undertaking, the deputy commandant replied that Musharraf was admitted to AFIC due to his cardiac illness and was being provided medical assistance. “An under-observation patient, who is yet to be discharged, is being taken away and any unpleasant situation may deteriorate his condition.”

However, the SP refused to give the undertaking, the sources said, adding later the issue was brought to the knowledge of SSP Malik Matloob who also refused to receive the former president under such a condition.

The SSP asked Mr Ashfaq to tell the AFIC deputy commandant that Musharraf was a free man and there was no need to submit such an undertaking and surety in writing.

The SP informed the deputy commandant of the AFIC that such an undertaking is only given to those from whom a detained accused or convict person is taken into custody, the sources said. On the refusal of the police officers to give the undertaking, the deputy commandant did not allow them to take Musharraf to the special court.

When the two police officers brought the matter under the knowledge of their seniors, the later ordered them to resolve the matter and bring Musharraf to the court. In response, the SP and SSP approached the area police where the AFIC is located and sought their help.

However, the R.A. Bazaar police also refused to give the undertaking, the sources said. Later, the issue was taken up at the highest level, including interior ministry and Prime Minister Secretariat who asked the police to do whatever was possible and bring Musharraf to the court.

After over two hours, SP Ashfaq gave the undertaking to the deputy commandant, said the sources. Before the submission of the undertaking, at one stage Musharraf himself got a ‘temporary discharge paper’ and signed it, saying he was leaving the AFIC on his own will.

However, the deputy commandant insisted on getting the undertaking from the police.

When Musharraf was taken back to AFIC, SP Ashfaq also gave an undertaking that he had brought the former military ruler back to the AFIC in the same condition in which he had been taken to the court, the sources said, adding a major also signed the second undertaking as a witness.