ISLAMABAD: An additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) on Wednesday summoned the guarantors of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, in the murderof Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi.

A D S J P e r v a i z u 1 Qadir Memon directed Mr Musharraf`s guarantors to explain why the former president who is accused in the murder case failed to attend court proceedings.

Retired Capt Nazir Ahmed and Jan Mo h a m m a dhad submitted personal sureties along with surety bonds before the court, and given undertakings that the accused would appear before the court on each date of the trial proceedings.

The complainant, Ghazi`s son Haroon Rashid, had nominated Mr Musharraf as the sole accused in the case. Mr Musharraf obtaine d bail in the murder case in November 2013.

Aabpara police, in September 2013, registered an FIR against Mr Musharraf under the direction of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where Mr Rashid had filed a petition seeking legal action against the former military dictator for launching a military operation against Lal Masjid in 2007. His father and grandmother were among those killed in the operation.

The military operation against the Lal Masjid administration was launched in July 2007, after the civil administration failed to get the Children Library vacated from their possession.

Mr Musharraf has never attended the proceedings of the murder trial. However, his lawyers from time to time have moved several applications seeking the exemption of his per-sonal attendance. In April 2015, the trial court rejected his plea for permanent exemption and issued non-bailable arrest warrants on June19 and Jul24,2015.

ADSJ Memon issued non-bailable warrants for Mr Musharraf`s arrest for a third time on Feb 20, 2016 and observed that his absence from the proceedings was deliberate.

On Wednesday, the court resumed the trial and was informed that Mr Musharraf could not appear in court because he was unwell.

Aabpara police told the court that since Mr Musharraf is not available at his Chak Shahzad residence, his arrest warrants could not be executed.

Advocate Tariq Asad, the counsel for the complainant, said that Mr Musharraf is living in Karachi and his whereabouts are well known.

`This is not a civil proceeding, the former president is facing a criminal case and it is the responsibility of the police to arrest him and produce him before the trial court,` he said.

ADSJ Memon said the warrants against Mr Musharraf were still effective, summoned his guarantors on April 2 and adjourned the proceedings.