Pervez Musharraf freed after 6 months of house arrest

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf was today freed after spending nearly six months in house arrest as he has been granted bail in four major cases registered against him, including one over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Two days after a court here granted him bail in a case related to the killing of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Musharraf submitted two surety bonds of Rs 1 lakh each.

His lawyer Ilyas Siddiqui said, "Musharraf is a free man now."

The 70-year-old former President has been under house arrest at his sprawling farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad and aides said the notification declaring it a "sub-jail" would be withdrawn soon.

"The sub-jail will be denotified soon. Musharraf will hold a media briefing soon," Aasia Ishaque, spokesperson for his All Pakistan Muslim League party, told PTI.

However, staff from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail continued to be deployed at the farmhouse in Chak Shehzad.

APML leaders and supporters gathered outside the farmhouse and distributed sweets. A large media contingent too was present.

Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a senior member of Musharraf's legal team, said his release was not part of any deal.

Besides the Lal Masjid case, Musharraf has been granted bail in three other cases registered against him over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in 2007, the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation and the imposition of emergency in 2007.

The cases were filed after he returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March to revive his political career. However, a court barred him from contesting polls for life.