On humanitarian grounds: Govt offers to fly Musharraf’s mother back home

Rashid says the govt will provide her with all the required medical facilities.

ISLAMABAD:

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Friday that the government was ready to send a special plane to Dubai to bring former president Pervez Musharraf’s mother back to Pakistan.

“Out of genuine humanitarian considerations, the prime minister is ready to airlift the ailing mother of Musharraf so that she could get the best possible medical care and is able to live with her son,” said a statement by Rashid.

The minister also said that the government would provide all medical facilities for her treatment. He said that a proposal had already been drawn up to charter a plane to bring Musharraf’s mother back.

Cases in court

The minister stoutly denied reports that the government was making a deal with the former president and would at any point provide him a safe passage out of the country. Rashid said that Musharraf’s cases were pending before the court and only the judiciary could decide his fate.



“The independent judiciary would decide upon cases against Musharraf.”

Musharraf had previously filed a petition in the Sindh High Court to strike off his name from the exit control list so that he could see his 95-year old mother in Dubai. However, all his petitions have been disposed of by the court.

In its latest order, SHC had stated that the matter did not fall under its jurisdiction as Musharraf’s bail was approved by other courts.  The court had advised Musharraf’s counsel to refer the matter to the federal government or the trial court.

Sources reveal that Musharraf has reportedly turned down the government’s offer.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2013.