Pervez Musharraf arrested in Islamabad

Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been arrested and will be held under house arrest in Islamabad for two days.

Earlier, TV images showed Pervez Musharraf entering a district court amid heavy security.

On Thursday a Pakistani court ordered the former leader’s arrest over an attempt to impose house arrest on judges in March 2007.

It was an unprecedented move against a former army chief who ruled the country for almost a decade.

Although Pervez Musharraf was present at court on Thursday when the warrant was issued, police made no attempt to arrest him and he rapidly returned to his home on the outskirts of the city.

On Friday morning, according to his aides, Pervez Musharraf went to a district court escorted by his security detail and submitted himself for arrest to comply with Thursday’s court order.

Police said the arrest had taken place overnight at his home.

Pervez Musharraf’s legal team say they will challenge the arrest order in Pakistan’s Supreme Court.

Last month Pervez Musharraf returned from years of self-imposed exile hoping to lead his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party into the general election next month.

Earlier this week his candidacy was rejected in Chitral, one of four seats he had applied to contest.

Pervez Musharraf had already failed in an attempt to stand in three other seats.

The case for which the former military ruler has been arrested relates to his controversial decision to dismiss judges – including Chief Justice Mohammad Iftikhar Chaudhry – when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.

Pervez Musharraf also faces several other criminal cases and had been trying to stave off arrest ever since he returned.

The Pakistani Taliban have also vowed to assassinate former President Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup.

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