Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, who was once a leading figure in the war against terrorism, has now found himself facing charges of terrorism. He has also been charged as an absconder after he evaded immediate arrest following the cancellation of his pre-arrest bail in the Islamabad High Court. While political parties have welcomed this act, legal experts are divided over whether the former military dictator can be termed an absconder and a terrorist, reports The Express Tribune. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Dr Abdul Basit believes the IHC had wrongly charged Musharraf with terrorism while hearing a bailable offence. He said Musharraf not be deprived of his right to a fair trial, adding that the court”s decision would help the former president emerge as a hero. Advocate Salman Akram Raja, meanwhile, said Musharraf could not be termed an absconder since the police had been reluctant to arrest him. Several politicians have criticised the police for their failure to arrest Musharraf. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hassan said the lapse on the police officials” part to arrest Musharraf is a sign of their ”discriminatory” approach towards the former army chief. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari urged the court to take action against those police officials who failed to arrest Musharraf and helped him escape. PML-N”s Khawaja Saad Rafique and Senator Pervez Rasheed both welcomed the court”s decision and condemned the police for failing to arrest Musharraf. Members of the upper house of Parliament also strongly criticised the relevant agencies for failing to arrest Musharraf. PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that Musharraf should be held accountable for all the wrongdoings during his regime. He blamed the former president for imposing the so-called war on terror on Pakistan. (ANI)
