Ghazi murder case: Pervez Musharraf granted exemption from appearance

A court in Pakistan granted exemption to former president Pervez Musharraf from appearing Saturday in the Abdul Rasheed Ghazi murder case and summoned him for its next hearing March 15.

A murder case was registered in September 2013 against the former army chief for the death of Islamabad's Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi during the 2007 military siege of the mosque.

Additional sessions court judge Wajid Ali heard the case, Dawn online reported.

Musharraf's lawyer requested for permanent exemption for the former president in the case.

The court decided to discuss the matter of permanent exemption for Musharraf in its next hearing March 15.

The military operation against extremists holed up in the Lal Masjid, ordered by Musharraf's regime, resulted in a bloody eight-day siege that killed nearly 100 people, including Pakistani troops.