Pervez Musharraf served with arrest warrant at hospital

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf, facing charges of high treason for imposing emergency in 2007, has been served with an arrest warrant by police at a military hospital.

A special court, constituted to try 70-year-old Musharraf on high treason charges, had issued the warrant on Friday, carrying a bail bond of Rs 2.5 million.

The court had also ordered the Islamabad police to submit a compliance report to the court on February 7.

Police were able to serve the warrant yesterday only after waiting for two-and-half hours at the reception of the medical facility, media reports said.

Musharraf's lawyers, who were also present at the hospital, provided the police with details about the surety bonds of Rs 2.5 million.

Since the start of the high treason trial against him, Musharraf has not appeared before the court.

Musharraf was admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi after he developed heart problems while being driven to the special court.

Musharraf is facing treason charges for suspending and abrogating the Constitution and imposing an emergency in November 2007.

This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military ruler has been put on trial for treason.

If convicted, he could get life imprisonment or the death penalty.