ISLAMABAD: The Special Court seized with the high treason trial of former president retired General Pervez Musharraf ordered him on Tuesday to appear in the court on Friday for indictment.

This is the sixth time that the three-judge court has summoned Gen Musharraf for indictment since the proceedings in the treason case began on Dec 13.

Taking cognizance of threats to the life of the former army chief, the court directed Interior Secretary Shahid Khan Shahid Khan to make necessary arrangements for escorting Gen Musharraf during his movement between the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and the court.

The secretary told the court that security had been beefed up following a recent security alert in which an intelligence agency had warned that Al Qaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan could carry out an attack on Gen Musharraf.

He said that 1,600 people had been deployed for Gen Musharraf’s security during his travel between the court and the hospital.

“The security guards detailed for his inner cordon and cavalcade have been replaced with a heavy contingent duly screened by the department concerned,” he said.

But Justice Faisal Arab of Sindh High Court, who heads the Special Court, directed him to take adequate measures by Friday when the court would read out charges against Gen Musharraf.

Defence counsel Ahmed Raza Kasuri said the former president had always expressed respect for judiciary and appeared even before a civil judge.

He said he had not appeared on Tuesday because of a recent alert issued by the ministry of interior.

He expressed the fear that an attack on Gen Musharraf could also endanger the lives of judges, prosecution and defence lawyers and media personnel covering the case.

“We have already expressed possibility of an attack on the Special Court and it is not a gimmick. Human life is over and above (everything). Even justice comes after it,” Mr Kasuri said.

“The recent alert was issued by the interior ministry which is the complainant in the treason case. If the complainant says that Gen Musharraf’s life is under threat, it has to be taken seriously” he said.

The ministry has warned that some miscreants had been inducted in the inner cordon security of Gen Musharraf and they would kill him during his travel to the court, Mr Kasuri said.

“Musharraf is coming to the court on your summons. If anything happens to him the bench will be held responsible for that. You will be judged in the history as assassins.”

His remarks annoyed Justice Arab who asked: “Is that the way to argue the case.” He summoned the interior secretary and asked him to inform the court about security arrangements made after the issuance of the alert.

Another defence lawyer, Rana Ijaz, also angered the court by making indecent remarks. Justice Arab ordered a security official to expel him from the courtroom.

Advocate Akram Sheikh, the head of the prosecution team, said the alert had been issued by the National Crisis Management Cell without the consent of the ministry and its secretary.

He said adequate security measures had been taken to protect Gen Musharraf from a possible terrorist attack.

“We can provide security by the 111 Brigade if the court issues an order to do so,” he proposed.

“If the court allows us to take Musharraf into custody the federal government will take care of him as he will become its responsibility,” he said.

The court exempted Gen Musharraf from appearing in the court only for Tuesday).

The court will hear applications of Gen Musharraf seeking trial of his aides and his treatment abroad on Wednesday.