ISLAMABAD: Nobody could have even imagined that the incarcerated former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf would be so powerful. The proof of that is found in certain strange events which tell that however hard his opponents may try, they may not be successful in getting him punished.
Ever since April 6, when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) cancelled his bail and he was made to flee from there, the lawyers associated with his case, directly or indirectly, have been confronted with strange circumstances.
The latest is that Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Ghumman, a lawyer, on whose FIR a case against Musharraf for keeping judges in captivity was being heard, has disassociated himself from pursuing the case. In an emergency press conference addressed on Friday night, Ghumman said that he was doing so in the national interest. Yesterday, Ghumman said he gave serious thought to the fact that if Nawaz Sharif can forgive all the excesses of Musharraf, from overthrowing his government to imprisoning him in the Attock Fort, why could he not forgive the dictator.
His tenor however was different and some internal fear was written large on his face. When some of his colleagues were contacted, they said that at least two senior lawyers, including Chaudhry Zulfiqar, the senior prosecutor in the Musharraf case, had been assassinated in the past few weeks. The name of the other lawyer who was killed is Chaudhry Muhammad Khan.
None of the murderers have been arrested so far. A number of lawyers have been picked up and tortured either from their houses or offices or while they were on their way to the court.
According to Ghumman, an attempt was made the other day to kidnap another lawyer, Butt. However, he managed to escape unhurt. Ghumman said perhaps the lawyers who had been agitating during the appearance of Musharraf in the courts were on the hit list. He said the footage of the agitation was with them. He confirmed that the Supreme Court has taken suo moto notice of the mysterious incidents of teaching them a lesson.
He further said that notices have been sent to the DG ISI, DG MI and IG to appear before the Supreme Court on May 24.
It is also possible that he might have received some dangerous threat which forced him to forgive the retired general for the incarceration of the judges.
As a result of his non-pursuance of the case and withdrawal of the FIR against the general, who is incarcerated in his own house declared as a sub-jail, the case would automatically be discharged. This is because no individual or institution have registered any case against the retired general. Although there are many other cases instituted against Musharraf in which he can be penalised, the judges case was still the most strong in which more arguments are not required.Internews
