[JURIST] Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court issued a nonbailable arrest warrant on Friday against former president and military leader Pervez Musharraf for detaining more than 60 judges after declaring a state of emergency in 2007. The proceedings were held without Musharraf [Express Tribune report], who left the country for Dubai after a court removed [JURIST report] him from the exit control list last month to seek medical treatment. However, the judge told his lawyers that Musharraf should have obtained specific permission from the court before departing the country. He is ordered to appear in court in Pakistan on April 22.
The case against Musharraf has been ongoing since 2014. Pakistan's Sindh High Court (SHC) [official website] in June 2014 lifted a travel ban that had prevented Musharraf from leaving the country. Musharraf was indicted [JURIST report] in March of that year on charges of high treason. If convicted, Musharraf could face the death penalty. Musharraf pleaded not guilty to each of the charges against him, including unlawfully suspending the constitution, firing Pakistan's chief justice, and instituting emergency rule in 2007. Musharraf called the charges politically motivated and maintained that the country had prospered under his 2001-2008 rule and that his declaration of a state of emergency was not unconstitutional.
