Pakistani police arrested former President Pervez Musharraf yesterday to face allegations he overstepped his powers while in office, marking a dramatic break with a political culture in which military rulers have remained untouchable.

The one-time army chief had hoped to rekindle a degree of influence by standing in a general election in May, but has instead become ensnared in a showdown with judges who fought bruising battles with him while he was still in office.

A magistrate had raised the stakes earlier yesterday when he ordered Musharraf be placed under house arrest for two days before he is due to appear in court on allegations of illegally detaining judges during a crackdown on the judiciary in 2007.

Musharraf is accused of violating the Constitution by placing judges under house arrest after he sacked the chief justice and imposed emergency rule.

Musharraf’s office said the charges against him are baseless and have been cooked up by sections of what it described as an “overzealous judiciary” and “unscrupulous lawyers”.

“The allegations levelled against the former president in judges detention case are false and politically motivated,” the office said in a statement.

One of Musharraf’s lawyers said he would file a petition to overturn the arrest order at the Supreme Court.

Judges signalled their intent to take a tough line with Musharraf yesterday when they ordered his case be heard in an anti-terrorism court on the grounds that detaining judges could be considered an attack on the state.

Police later transferred Musharraf into custody at a guest house at their headquarters in Islamabad after a senior officer failed to issue paperwork necessary for him to remain under detention at his home, said his spokesman, Mohammad Amjad.

“He’s been shifted to a police guest house for two days of remand,” Amjad said.

Pakistani TV showed Musharraf leaving his residence at an exclusive estate on the edge of Islamabad in a black SUV escorted by police vehicles.