ISLAMABAD: A bail application was filed on behalf of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the Anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Saturday.

During the judges’ detention case hearing, Musharraf’s counsel Imran Feroz and Zia ur Rehman filed a bail application on which the court issued notice to the parties for May 6.

This was followed by a directive of the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, Jawad Paul, according to which the trial Musharaf would be held at his sub-jail Chak Shahzad due to security reasons.

The case is one of three against Musharraf in Pakistani courts. He is also accused of involvement in a conspiracy to murder Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and over the 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Khan Bugti.

Judges’ detention case

The case is based on an FIR against the retired general registered in August 11, 2009 on the complaint of Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman advocate.

He had asked the police to initiate legal proceedings against Musharraf for detaining over 60 judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, after proclamation of a state of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan last month after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest the May 11 general election.

Election officials had barred Musharraf from running for the National Assembly earlier this week, effectively derailing his attempts to regain a place in politics by standing at the polls.

Although Musharraf’s legal battles have provided an electrifying sideshow in the election race, he commands scant popular support and the outcome of the drama is unlikely to have much of an impact on the final results.