Musharraf Skips Court, Goes to Hospital Instead

Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf was rushed to the hospital today with a "heart problem" he experienced while on his way to a court hearing in a high treason case, police and lawyers said. The unexpected detour is the latest drama in the legal problems that the former army chief has faced since returning to the country in March in hopes of running in elections. It was also the third time the former strongman failed to show up in court for the key case against him.

Deputy Inspector Jan Mohammed told the court that Musharraf was taken to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in the nearby city of Rawalpindi after falling ill on his way from his farmhouse iin the Islamabad suburbs to the National Library, where the high treason proceedings are being held. One of Musharraf's lawyers, Khalid Ranjha, said he had developed a "heart problem" and had gone to the hospital instead of the court. An active swimmer and former army commando, Musharraf is not publicly known to have had any heart issues. He missed the previous two hearings in the high treason case, including one yesterday, following bomb scares.