ISLAMABAD, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to former President Pervez Musharraf in the 2007 assassination case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, court officials said.
Musharraf had been accused of failing to provide security to Benazir Bhutto, who died in a suicide attack in December 2007.
In spite of the Anti-Terrorism Court's release order, Musharraf will remain in detention as he has also been arrested in another case of keeping judges in illegal confinement when he imposed emergency rule in 2007.
The former president has been kept at his Islamabad house over security concerns and his house has been declared sub-jail.
Last month, the Lahore High Court had rejected an application by Musharraf's lawyer for the extension of his interim bail. He was then formally arrested over the case and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is investigating the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, had questioned him about the case.
Musharraf's lawyer told the court on Monday that there were no solid proofs against the former military ruler and that he should be granted bail.
Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March after nearly four years of self-exile to take part in elections and to run election campaign for his All Pakistan Muslim League party.
However, he was barred from running in the May 11 general election that led to boycott of the polls by Musharraf's party.
He is facing several serious criminal cases. Lawyers have petitioned the Supreme Court to put him on trial for treason for imposing emergency and he also faces charges over the death of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation.
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