Pakistani court rejects Musharraf's release request

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected the request of former President Pervez Musharraf for release in a case pertaining to the murder of Baloch leader Akber Bugti on Friday. The bench of the court headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk rejected the plea of the former military strongman with comments that the complainant must be present in person before the court for its judgment. The former President came to Pakistan after four years of self imposed exile to participate in May 11 general election 2013 but the Election Commission of Pakistan did not allow him to participate in the elections and court ordered a life time ban on him to participate in elections due to violation of costitution. Musharraf's counsel, Ibrahim Satti, presented his arguments before the bench, saying that the former president had decided to come to Pakistan voluntarily, adding that he had remained the president of Pakistan but due to rejection of bail in the Bugti case, he was under arrest. A former nationalist leader of southwestern Pakistani province Balochistan, Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in a military operation ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time. Bugti led an armed campaign against the provincial autonomy claiming a greater share of profits from natural resources in Balochistan. Musharraf is currently facing three cases after coming back to Pakistan and was house arrested in his famous Chak Shehzad farmhouse due to security concerns.