'Leave it to the Almighty now': Plea to place deceased dictator Musharraf on ECL disposed of

The Supreme Court (SC) disposed of on Tuesday a petition filed six years ago to place now deceased military dictator Pervez Musharraf on the Exit Control List (ECL).

A three-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Akbar Naqvi heard the plea.

"Isn't this plea redundant now," inquired Justice Naqvi.

"If it had been fixed for hearing six years ago, it would not have been redundant," replied the petitioner, advocate Toufiq Asif, adding that as predicted, the deceased military general left the country and did not return.

Read TIMELINE: Rise and fall of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf

"Just leave it to the Almighty now," remarked Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

"Well yeah, it is up to the Almighty now," replied the petitioner.

The court disposed of the petition.

Former military ruler Gen (retd) Musharraf, who ruled the country from 1999 to 2008, passed away after a protracted illness in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates on February 5, 2023. He was 79.

Musharraf was handed the death sentence for treason but the punishment was never carried out.