Pervez Musharraf’s properties confiscated

The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Pakistan on Tuesday confiscated former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s three properties over court’s order. Also, a media report said on Tuesday that Mr Musharraf owned more properties under defence housing schemes than previously thought.

The DHA confirmed three bungalows were named after the 72-year-old former President, who is currently said to be in Dubai for purported medical treatment.

The DHA wrote a letter to the district and session court confirming their presence, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

According to details in the letter, Mr Musharraf has a 2000- yard bungalow in Phase 8, Defence. He also owns two plots in DHA phase 8, DHA stated. However DHA has remained silent over a bungalow in Army Housing Scheme which is considered one of the main properties of the former military dictator. Quoting sources in DHA, the report said that Musharraf in fact has two properties in Army Housing Scheme, something that even the court was unaware of.

District judge South (Karachi) Nazir Amin Memon had initiated action based on the special court judge’s ruling on July 19, in which the court had ordered freezing of Mr Musharraf’s assets and properties. The district judge had ordered seizing of four bungalows belonging to the former President for not appearing before it during proceedings of a high treason case despite repeated notices.

The district judge in a letter had asked the DHA to take action and submit a response in three days over the matter.

Mr Musharraf flew to Dubai in March for purported medical treatment after the Supreme Court lifted the ban on his foreign trips and it is believed that he may never return to face a slew of several high-profile cases against him.

The Special Court in one of its previous rulings had declared ex-President Musharraf a “proclaimed offender”. In March 2014, Mr Musharraf was formally indicted over treason charges for imposing emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order on November 3, 2007.

Mr Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Facing impeachment following elections in 2008, he resigned as president and went into self-imposed exile in Dubai.