Govt challenges SHC’s decision to remove Musharraf name from ECL

Musharraf's, Govt, ECL, SHC, Pakistan, federal government, News

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has challenged the decision of the Sindh High Court (SHC) to remove former president Pervez Musharraf’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL) in the Supreme Court.

A bench of the apex court will take up this case on June 16 on the request of the federal government.

In the appeal, the government has requested to suspend the SHC’s decision. It has asked the Supreme Court to stop Musharraf from traveling abroad.

The federation insisted that Musharraf will not return to Pakistan once he leaves the country, which will bring his trial, which is at an advanced stage, to a standstill.

On June 12, the SHC had ordered the removal of Musharraf’s name from the ECL but had suspended this order for around two weeks, giving the federal government time to appeal against the decision before the Supreme Court.

Following the high court’s order, Musharraf filed a petition in the SHC requesting permission to leave the country at the earliest to visit his ailing mother.

However, the petition reads that the federal government offered to fly in Musharraf’s mother from the UAE, but the former president refused as he wants to avoid the trial and leave the country.

It further states,  “It is further prayed that during the pendency of the instant petition the impugned judgment may kindly be suspended and the name of the respondent may kindly continue to remain on the ECL and he may be restrained from going abroad without the permission of this honorable court.”

The former president is involved in 12 cases and faces treason charges for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. The federal government had placed his name on the ECL, stating he might try to abscond.

Facts

The federal government’s petition also mentioned instances regarding Musharraf’s conduct to convince the court to not allow him to travel abroad. These facts were similar to the ones stated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on many occasions against the former president.

The respondent is a former chief of army staff and, thus, is responsible for the overthrow of an elected government on October 12, 1999 and for imposing martial law in the country.

Subsequently, he took office as president of Pakistan by removing a lawfully-elected president, Muhammad Rafique Tarrar. Later on, the respondent got himself elected as president of Pakistan from a parliament that was elected through general elections held in 2002-2003.

First Published In Tribune, 14th June, 2014.

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