Lawyers not allowed to meet Musharraf

Dawn.com ISLAMABAD, April 21: Superintendent of Adiala jail visited the residence of former military rule Gen Pervez Musharraf on Sunday to examine arrangement at the farmhouse which was declared as a sub-jail, DawnNews reported. The former president was also declared fit after a medical examination was conducted by the medical in-charge of Adial jail Dr Asif, following apprehensions expressed by his counsel over the food provided to the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief. Dr Asif later said that the detained former ruler was fit and was receiving proper food provisions. Members of the media were also restricted from coverage outside the residence of Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf. Earlier today the Secretary General of the APML and a lawyer for Pervez Musharraf were prevented on Sunday from meeting the former military ruler at his Chak Shehzad farmhouse residence. Raja Ibrahim Satti, counsel for Musharraf was stopped from entering the residence of the party chief which was declared as a sub-jail. The private security deployed at the 5,000 acre farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad was also removed along with all communication facilities provided to General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. Party leader Dr Mohammad Amjad said the food provided to the former president was not being checked and that the Punjab government would be responsible for any untoward incident in this regard. The APML chief has been confined to two-rooms at his palatial residence and spent the first night under house arrest after local administration of Islamabad declared the farmhouse residence of former military dictator a sub-jail following an anti-terrorist court’s order granting him 14-day judicial remand in the judges’ detention case. Civilians were also prohibited from visiting the area around the residence of the former military dictator and the surrounding locality is under strict security surveillance with the help of CCTV cameras. A court had issued warrants for Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s arrest in the judges’ detention case in December last year when the former military ruler was abroad in a self-imposed exile. He had sought protective-bail in a number of cases against him which were granted by the Sindh High Court on March 22, a couple of days prior to his arrival back in Pakistan. The protective-bail granted was extended periodically while at the same time Musharraf sought to sort out his election campaign. The former military ruler received serious blows when his nomination papers were rejected and he was ultimately thrown out of the election race. His bail plea was cancelled on April 18 by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui in the judges’ detention case.]]>