Musharraf's movement confined to 2 rooms of his farmhouse:aide

Islamabad, April 21: Former President Pervez Musharraf has been confined to two rooms of his palatial farmhouse, which has been declared a "sub-jail", and is barred from meeting even his lawyers, one of his close aides said today.

"Musharraf has been restricted to two rooms and his family is not permitted to meet him. His personal staff have been restricted to the office within the farmhouse," Muhammad Amjad, a leader of the All Pakistan Muslim League party, told reporters.

The 69-year-old former military ruler's farmhouse was declared a sub-jail hours after an anti-terrorism court yesterday remanded Musharraf to judicial custody for a fortnight.

The move came a day after Musharraf was arrested on the orders of the Islamabad High Court over a case related to the emergency rule of 2007.

Amjad said two prison officials had been deputed to the farmhouse at Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of Islamabad to take care of Musharraf's needs, including food.

However, Musharraf's lawyers were not being allowed to meet him, and this was affecting preparations for several cases pending in different courts, Amjad said.

"The lawyers can't meet him ahead of hearings in the Supreme Court, the anti-terrorism court and the High Court. All prisoners are allowed to meet their lawyers," he said.

Amjad contended that even when former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani was imprisoned in Rawalpindi some years ago, he had more liberties and facilities.

In a related development, more policemen were deployed around and inside Musharraf's farmhouse after he was shifted there from the Islamabad Police headquarters yesterday.

There is tight security around the five-acre farmhouse and members of the public have been barred from approaching it.

Musharraf is the first former army chief to be arrested and produced in court. He was detained after the Islamabad High Court revoked his bail in a case over the detention of over 60 judges during the 2007 emergency.

PTI