QUETTA: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta has ordered former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to appear before it on April 21 in a case relating to the murder of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

ATC Quetta 1 Judge Tariq Ahmed Kasi directed the former military dictator to appear before the court otherwise his bail would be cancelled.

"The court will issue arrest warrants against him if he fails to appear before it," counsel of Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, Sohail Rajput, told reporters while quoting the remarks of the judge during the hearing.

Meanwhile, former federal interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and former home minister Balochistan Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani appeared before the court in relation to the case.

The court ordered both former ministers to reappear before it on April 21st.

"We respect the court now and we will respect it in future," Mr. Sherpao told reporters after the hearing of the case.

The court also issued arrest warrants of Pervez Musharraf's guarantors, Rajput informed reporters.

"Investigation team is not fulfilling its responsibility with regards to probing the murder of Nawab Bugti," Rajput complained.

Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, the son of Nawab Akbar Bugti, had nominated Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and other high-ups in the murder of his father.

The Balochistan High Court had already issued arrest warrants of the accused persons.

Bugti was killed in a cave on August 26, 2006 during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.

Bugti had led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources. The death of the Baloch chieftain sparked angry protests in the country.