A court on Monday granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the case of a military raid on the militants-affiliated Islamabad' Red Mosque during his rule in 2007, which led to the killing of nearly 90 religious students, lawyers said.
Musharraf was formally arrested in the case last month after son of the deputy of the mosque, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the military operation, had filed a case against him.
The former President has already got bails in two other high profile cases – the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the murder of senior tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed in 2006 in a military operation.
Bail to Musharraf in the mosque case has paved the way for his possible going abroad. However, a Musharraf’s lawyer told reporters on Monday that the former military leader will not leave the country.
Some opposition leaders say that the government and the former president has entered into a secret deal that will allow Musharraf to leave the country. The government has also not confirmed any deal.
Additional Session Judge, Wajid Ali, granted bail to Pervez Musharraf and ordered him to deposit two surety bonds, each of one hundred thousand rupees, a Musharraf’s lawyer told reporters after the court’s verdict.
Prosecution had accused the former President of ordering the military operation, which led to the killing of students, and opposed bail to him.
Musharraf’s defence lawyer, Ilyas Siddiqi, however told the court that there is no written order to suggest the former military leader had issued any order for the operation. Nearly 11 security men were also killed during exchange of firing with the religious students.
The military had launched military raid on the mosque after the students, some of them armed, refused to surrender. Ten security personnel had also been killed in exchange of firing.
Musharraf had defended the operation and stated that the militants had taken control of the mosque, adjoining girls religious and a government's children library.
Musharraf returned to the country in March after a nearly four-year self exile to take part in elections. However, a court had disqualified him for standing in the May elections.
The former President, who leads All Pakistan Muslim League, is under detention at his farmhouse in Islamabad and his lawyers are now confident that he will soon be a free man.
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