Pakistan's Musharraf gets bail ahead of planned return

KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was on Friday, March 22, granted protective bail in a series of legal cases, paving the way for his return from exile without the risk of immediate arrest.

Mr Musharraf, who seized power in 1999 and left the country after stepping down in 2008, has vowed to return home on Sunday to contest the May 11 general election, but is wanted in Pakistan for conspiracy to murder and illegally arresting judges.

To preclude the prospect of his arrest on arrival, his daughter, Ms Ayla Raza, petitioned a court in Karachi on his behalf for protective bail in three cases, including the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“He has been given pre-arrival, protective bail in all three cases,” Mr Musharraf’s lawyer Mr Ahmad Raza Kasuri told AFP.