Pakistan yesterday registered a criminal case against Pervez Musharraf, a precursor to potentially putting the ex-ruler in the dock over the arrests of judges in 2007 in a bid to cling onto power.

Mr Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and sacked about 60 judges on November 3, 2007 when the supreme court appeared poised to declare him ineligible to contest a presidential election while in military uniform.

On a plea filed by lawyer Mohammad Aslam Ghuman, Islamabad's district and sessions judge Mohammad Akmal on Monday directed police to register a case against Mr Musharraf, who is currently in London.

"We have registered a case against Pervez Musharraf under Pakistan's Penal Code," Hakim Khan, the chief officer of the relevant police station, said.

The registration of the case will now see police investigate the charges levelled against the former head of state, who seized power in a 1999 coup.

"It is a criminal case," another police official remarked.

Yesterday's move comes just weeks after a 14-member bench led by supreme court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry last month declared Musharraf's acts illegal when he dismissed top judges and ordered their detention.

In his order, judge Akmal directed the Islamabad city police chief to "fulfill his statutory obligation by recording the petitioner's statement... and proceed further in according with law."

According to a copy of the order obtained by AFP, the judge also ordered a "fair investigation of the case".

Prosecuting lawyer Ghuman said he would make efforts through the courts to force the former president to return to Pakistan, where he could face up to three years in jail if found guilty in court.

"Mr Musharraf has committed serious crimes. We will try to get him back through court," he added.