Musharraf vows to fight after arrest

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to fight what he described as politically inspired and false charges against him.

“These allegations are politically motivated, and I will fight them in the trial court, where the truth will eventually prevail,” Musharraf said in a statement issued on Friday after he was arrested in a case involving his decision to fire senior judges while in power more than five years ago.

Meanwhile, Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League party also released a statement on Friday, saying, “The allegations leveled against the former president in judges detention case are false and politically motivated.”

On Thursday, Musharraf, with the help of his bodyguards, fled court in a speeding black SUV to avoid arrest after his bail was revoked.

Lawyers at the court yelled, “Look who is running! Musharraf is running!”

Musharraf is now being detained at police headquarters in the capital Islamabad. He is scheduled to appear in court on allegations of illegally arresting judges during a crackdown on the judiciary in 2007.

The 69-year-old is accused of violating the constitution by putting judges under house arrest after he sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and declared a state of emergency and suspended the nation’s constitution.

The former army general, who grabbed power in an October 1999 bloodless coup, stepped down in August 2008 as president of the country when his allies lost parliamentary elections in February 2008 and a new government threatened him with impeachment. A year later, he left the country.