Musharraf to appear in court on Friday: Spokesman

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf “intends” to appear before a special court in a high treason case on Friday, his spokesman says.

“We can confirm that former President Musharraf has posted bail and intends to appear in the special treason court on February 7th, 2014,” Raza Bokhari, a spokesman for Musharraf, said in a press statement on Tuesday.

The statement added that the former army chief wrote on the bail bond, “I do not recognize the authority of this special treason court, but I am complying for the greater good of the rule of law,” adding, “It is extremely relevant to note the formation, composition, jurisdiction, impartiality, independence and lawful authority of the special treason court is itself under question and under review in superior courts of Pakistan.”

On January 2, the 70-year-old fell ill with a heart problem while he was going to a special treason tribunal. Since then, he has been staying at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, a military hospital in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad.

On December 24, Musharraf was first summoned to court but he hasn’t been able to make it due to illness and security reasons.

Musharraf stepped down as president of the country in August 2008, about six months after his allies lost parliamentary elections in February 2008 and the new government threatened to impeach him. A year later, he left the country.

In March 2013, the former Pakistani president returned to the country after nearly four years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai.