Sunday, February 13, 2011

Pervez Musharraf faces arrest warrant

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will not submit to the arrest warrant issued by a court of his country as part of the investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, his spokesman said from London, home to former president of Pakistan. "No, not return (to Pakistan) to testify in court," said Fawad Chaudhry, spokesman of All Pakistan Muslim League, Musharraf's party.

Chaudhry described the issue as "totally ridiculous." A Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant against Pervez Musharraf as part of the investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. "Judge Rana Nisar Ahmad issued a warrant without bail against former President Pervez Musharraf and urged him to appear in court on February 19," said prosecutor Zulfiqar Chaudhry.

Benazir Bhutto, who twice served as Chief of Government in the 1990s, died on December 27, 2007 in a suicide attack while leaving a rally on the occasion of the 2008 legislative elections. She was married to Asif Ali Zardari, now President of Pakistan. The former general is in voluntary exile in London but travels frequently to lecture, has founded a new party and has made clear his intention to return to Pakistan.

The former police chief of Rawalpindi Saud Aziz, detained since last December, claimed that Musharraf was ultimately responsible for the security of Bhutto at the rally where he was killed. In the document, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) described as "fugitive" former army chief-something that the court has not made "and accuses him of failing to protect Bhutto's life.

He was born on August 10, 1943. He was president and army chief of Pakistan between 2001 and 2008, after assuming office on October 12, 1999 by a coup where there were no victims. In 1961 he joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1964, after graduating as an officer, was assigned to an artillery regiment that participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, focused on Kashmir.

He was awarded the Medal of Valor. On June 20, 2001 officially became the president of the nation following the attacks of September 11, 2001 became one of the main U.S. allies in its fight against terrorism. Musharraf was reelected president on October 6, 2007. On November 29, 2007 was sworn in as president of the country for a term of five years.

On November 3, 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency in the country by "judicial interference." He justified the decision because "the government system of the country was paralyzed by judicial interference." On August 18, 2008, through a televised message, Musharraf announced his leaving the presidency of Pakistan.

After his resignation, he was succeeded temporarily by Muhammad Mian Soomro, was replaced officially by Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto.

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