Musharraf likely to return to Pakistan next month

Islamabad: Pakistan's former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who has to appear before a special Pakistani court in a high treason case, is likely to return from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month, a leader of Pakistan Awami Ittehad has said.

The 74-year-old retired general has been living in Dubai since last year when he was allowed to leave Pakistan on the pretext of medical treatment.

The former military ruler was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

He has been declared "proclaimed offender" by courts in the treason and the Benazir Bhutto assassination cases.

"Former president (retd) General Pervez Musharraf would return to Pakistan next month," Iqbal Dar, secretary general of the Pakistan Awami Ittehad (PAI), a coalition of 23 political and religious parties led by the former president, was quoted as saying by the 'Dawn' newspaper.

He also said that the date of Musharraf's arrival and the city where he would be landing would be announced after consultation with all members of the PAI.

Musharraf, who had ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, had sought adequate security from the government for his return and his lawyer had moved a petition to the interior ministry, stating that the former president faced security threats.

The ministry, in its response, had sought the details of Musharraf's travel itinerary and his stay in Pakistan so that necessary foolproof security arrangements can be made for him well in time.

On March 16, the special court hearing the treason case against him authorised the government to suspend his passport as well as his computerised national identity card.

The court had also directed the Interior Ministry to approach the Interpol for the arrest of the former president.