The humiliation of Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf deepened today when he was arrested by police and taken before a judge - a day after he fled from court in an apparent bid to avoid detention.
Police arrested the former dictator overnight at his "farmhouse" on the outskirts of Islamabad and took him to the court of a judicial magistrate. He was later allowed to return to his residence which has been classified as a "sub-jail" and where he will be held under house arrest.
"This morning former president Pervez Musharraf surrendered before a judicial magistrate," Qamar Afzal, a lawyer who accompanied Mr Musharraf to court, told Reuters.
In a comment posted on social media following his arrest, Mr Musharraf claimed the charges against him were politically motivated. "I will fight them in the trial court, where the truth will eventually prevail" he said
Television footage showed Mr Musharraf being led to the office of the judge, walking past lines of police and paramilitary soldiers. He was taken inside the building and then later taken back to his house in the Chak Shahzad neighbourhood in a convoy of vehicles.
The case over which Mr Musharraf was arrested relates to his detaining and sacking more than 60 judges, politicians and lawyers after he declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution in November 2007 – actions that his critics say amount to treason.
The former military leader had gone to the Islamabad High Court on Thursday in connection with these cases but the judges there refused to extend his bail and ordered his arrest. Before any action could be taken, Mr Musharraf was bustled out by his security guards and bundled into a black SUV which then sped off.
Today, a judge at the Islamabad District Court reportedly told officers to keep Mr Musharraf in their custody and then present him before an anti-terrorism court. Mr Musharraf's lawyers said they would approach the country's supreme court later in the day, asking that the judges there overturn the lower court's arrest warrant.
The events that have played out over the last two days are humiliating for he man who seized power in a coup and ruled Pakistan from 1999-2008. He returned to the county last month after four years of exile in London and Dubai with the belief he was going to "save" the country. Before arriving, he had been granted bail by a court in Karachi.
Despite warnings from both friends and opponents that he had little political support in the country and faced major legal challenges, the former army commando convinced himself he could overcome the odds.
Some in Pakistan will see the arrest of Mr Musharraf as a positive step and will welcome that the letter of the law can be applied to all. But others will see his detention as an embarrassment for country's powerful establishment; this is the first time that a former army chief has been placed under arrest.
Today's development followed a series of set-backs for the former military leader. Earlier in the week, an election tribunal ruled that his attempt to contest the Chitral constituency seat was invalid. He was hoping to appeal to the supreme court but few expected he would succeed. It meant he had failed in his efforts to contest in all four constituencies in which he applied.
But even last night, Mr Musharraf continued to press his case. In a video message recorded at his house, he said: "Why I am being stopped form pursuing politics in Pakistan. Is it because I brought progress to Pakistan and added to its security?"
