<p>A top Pakistani prosecutor has said that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf will be arrested as soon as he returns to Pakistan from self-exile as an anti-terrorism court has issued “perpetual warrants” for him.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, a special prosecutor for the Federal Investigation Agency, said Musharraf would be arrested irrespective of whether he returned to Pakistan before or after the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.<br />Musharraf had announced last week that he intends to return to Pakistan a week after the installation of the interim administration to lead his party in the polls. <br /><br />The Pakistan Peoples Party-led government will complete its term on March 16 and the caretaker set-up is expected to be formed the same day.<br /><br />‘Proclaimed offender’<br /><br />Ali told the media that the anti-terrorism court had issued perpetual warrants for Musharraf and he could not evade the Criminal Procedure Code, which demanded his immediate arrest.<br /><br /> The court issued the warrants and declared Musharraf a “proclaimed offender” or fugitive after he refused to cooperate with investigators probing the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto. <br /><br />Prosecutors have accused Musharraf of failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in 2007. <br /><br />As a fugitive, Musharraf will not be entitled to any relief unless he surrenders to a court of competent jurisdiction.<br /><br />Musharraf will be treated in accordance with relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 and produced in the anti-terrorism court after his arrest, Ali said.</p>
<p>A top Pakistani prosecutor has said that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf will be arrested as soon as he returns to Pakistan from self-exile as an anti-terrorism court has issued “perpetual warrants” for him.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, a special prosecutor for the Federal Investigation Agency, said Musharraf would be arrested irrespective of whether he returned to Pakistan before or after the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.<br />Musharraf had announced last week that he intends to return to Pakistan a week after the installation of the interim administration to lead his party in the polls. <br /><br />The Pakistan Peoples Party-led government will complete its term on March 16 and the caretaker set-up is expected to be formed the same day.<br /><br />‘Proclaimed offender’<br /><br />Ali told the media that the anti-terrorism court had issued perpetual warrants for Musharraf and he could not evade the Criminal Procedure Code, which demanded his immediate arrest.<br /><br /> The court issued the warrants and declared Musharraf a “proclaimed offender” or fugitive after he refused to cooperate with investigators probing the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto. <br /><br />Prosecutors have accused Musharraf of failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in 2007. <br /><br />As a fugitive, Musharraf will not be entitled to any relief unless he surrenders to a court of competent jurisdiction.<br /><br />Musharraf will be treated in accordance with relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 and produced in the anti-terrorism court after his arrest, Ali said.</p>