A petition filed in the Islamabad High Court on Monday challenged the sub-jail status given to President General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf’s farmhouse.

The petitioner, Advocate Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar, challenged the notification issued by Chief Commissioner Islamabad, which declared the former president’s Chak Shahzad farmhouse a sub-jail after the court sent him on a two-week judicial remand.

The petition cited Musharraf, Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Mehmood Pirzada, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin Khan, and Station House Officers Secretariat Police Station as the respondents.

On April 20, an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) sent Musharraf on a two-week judicial remand and directed police authorities to present him before the court on May 4.
Later, Chief Commissioner Pirzada declared Chak Shahzad as a sub-jail. The move came after the police requested the administration to declare the farmhouse a sub-jail due to security reasons.

Challenging the petition, Advocate Gujjar argued that since Musharraf is facing terrorism charges, he should be sent to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.He maintained that there are hundreds of other individuals who are facing terrorism charges and they are languishing in jails. Under such circumstances, the petitioner said, Musharraf too should be sent to jail.

“It is utterly discriminating that hundreds of others, facing similar charges are confined to jails, while the ex-president is confined to his farmhouse,” the petitioner said.The petitioner said that the chief commissioner’s move is illegal and against the law. He alleged that IG Islamabad moved the application solely to facilitate the accused.

Advocate Gujjar requested the court to declare the notification issued by the Chief Commissioner illegal.Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan will take up the case today (on Tuesday).Currently, Musharraf’s plush farmhouse is under the administrative control of the Adiala Jail staff all and jail rules apply to it.