SC asked not to take Musharraf off ECL

Petitioner says ex-president may never return if allowed to go abroad

ISLAMABAD: The son of slain Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdur Rasheed has approached the Supreme Court for the dismissal of ex-president Pervez Musharraf’s plea to remove his name from Exit Control List (ECL).

Haroon Rasheed through his counsel Tariq Asad has filed a concise statement in response to Musharraf’s fresh plea seeking permission to go abroad for the treatment of back pain.



The statement contended that facilities for all kinds of surgery are available in Pakistan and if the one required by Musharraf is not present in the country, the federal government may be directed to import it on an emergency basis so that other citizens suffering from the same aliment may also get the benefit.

The former army chief is the nominated culprit in the murder of Ghazi Abdul Rasheed who was killed in an operation with many other followers, after the siege of Lal Masjid in Islamabad in July, 2007.

The reply further submitted that Musharraf might never return, if he is allowed to travel outside the country. The ex-president has defied the orders of the commission constituted by the apex court four times. The retired general failed to appear before the additional session judge Islamabad 25 times, Rasheed reminded. It is hard to believe that Musharraf after leaving the country, may come back to face trial in different courts of law, he said.

It is further contended that in the last two years Musharraf has appeared in over 40 television programmes and attended several functions in which he has been seen even dancing, but when his date of hearing in the courts draws near, he falls sick, the statement said.



Haroon Rasheed also expressed doubts over the authenticity of the medical certificates. The fresh medical report of former president was submitted in the Supreme Court on Monday.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, will resume on Tuesday (today), the hearing of Musharraf’s plea seeking one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2016.