Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf speaks to the press in Hong Kong on September 15, 2010. PHOTO: AFP
Musharraf’s lawyer Farogh Nasim filed the application earlier today and requested for an early hearing which was granted. In the application, Musharraf had pleaded that not a single court has imposed restriction on his movement and hence he should be allowed to fly abroad.
During the hearing, Nasim argued that the former president wanted to meet his ailing mother in Dubai and should be permitted to travel freely.
The two-member divisional bench consisting of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Khalid Hussain Bhatti issued notices and sought comments from the interior secretary, director general FIA, director FIA Sindh, additional director FIA Immigration and deputy attorney journal over the issue. The hearing was then adjourned till April 23.
The name of the former president was put on ECL on April 5, 2013 by the interior ministry to ensure Musharraf remained in the country and attended hearings of all the cases he was involved in.
On March 31, Musharraf was formally charged for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. Musharraf had rejected the charges levelled against him.
Apart from the high treason case, Musharraf was also named as an accused in the Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bugti murder cases.
Bugti murder case
Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Quetta Judge Tariq Anwar Kasi, dissatisfied over the absence of former military ruler (retd) General Pervez Musharraf, ordered Musharraf’s lawyer to ensure his presence in court for the next hearing of Nawab Akbar Bugti’s murder case scheduled on May 19.
The previously issued arrest warrants for Musharraf’s two guarantors, Mumtaz Hussain and Nazeer Ahmed, were cancelled by the judge during the hearing after they appeared before the court on Monday.
During their appearance in court, they requested to be provided with the opportunity to ensure Musharraf’s presence in the next court hearing.
The court said the former president should ensure his presence in court at the next hearing or face being arrested.
COMMENTS (30)
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Exile him quickly and save a ton of money. The poor country cannot afford such luxuries of active and retired generals. Mush's extended family is already overseas and he would be happy there and far away from Pakistan a la General Iskander Mirza.
Its regretful that an intellectual like him is a Pakistani who is not respected by nation like any other intellectual. He must leave this country on the mercy of corrupt leaders, judiciary and mullahs and enjoy is global respect abroad. Love you Sir!!
@excalibura thorn in the flesh of corruption? U hav a short memory he is the one who gave NRO to all this criminal lot,mush as commited a crime against the ppl
@ muhibullah as for shahzadi , she can here sprain treated very easily in Gowal mandi or ADFIC why go to London ?
@ Muhibullah
Please stand corrected Musharraf NEVER committed ABROGATION or TREASON He only HELD IN ABEYANCE a few clauses for 41 days only and Abeyance was not a culpable offence . Even the Kangaroo Tribunal ruled that he is a free man to go any where. He is neither convicted nor arrested , simply an accused . And yes all accused have the same rights as free men until proven guilty So where is the problem ?
This is the dignity of a man who is getting this security not in Pakistan but all over the world including UK and USA
He will be the future of Pakistan Insha Allah @Adnan Siddiqi:
State needs to get a court order to keep Musharraf on the ECL. Without the court order PML(N) is trying to play the role of judiciary and acting as the JUDGE.
When your charged with capital crimes like murder ... you usually don't get bail let alone permission to leave the country. One of those Elephant in the Room things that Pakistani's have apparently trained themselves to ignore.
@excalibur:
I am sure that the generals who committed massive corruption in NLC and Gen. Javed Qazi who caused billions of losses to the railways due Mushraaf's reign would be quacking in their boots right now due to the presence of Musharraf in Pakistan.
I am so glad that Musharaf's tooth problem is now solved.
@excalibur: Maryam Nawaz is a free citizen and not the defendant in a treason/abrogation of constitution case like Pervaiz Musharraf. Musharraf should be treated exactly the same as any other defendant against criminal charges & not allowed to flee the country in the guise of getting medical treatment.
@ Tab No they are not afraid of his going out to see his ailing mother butpetrified of his RETURN again as he did the first time around.
As long as Musharraf will remain in Pakistan he will be the thorn in the flesh of corruption and plunder flourishing in Pakistan unchallenged.
Musharraf has damaged the image of Pak army. He should be punished.
One must read the constitution of Pakistan and as per its chapter 12 Protection against retrospective punishment this law should have been applied from 1956 even though its last clause was added in 2008, so if current govt. is also not following the constitution in full they are committing the crime for which they wanted Mushraf to be punished subverting or abrogating constitution...
http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf
Article 12 of Protection against retrospective punishment must be read it is quite interesting to see that the end clause which was added in 2008 which clearly tell any act such Mushraf has done will be treated as offence since 1956,,,so they are doing the same with constitution by acting only on its half part
Are you saying the government is the court ? or accepting that the Government's spokespersons whos stated that Musharraf name is on ECL is because of the court are a bunch of hippocrates and liars @aaaaa:
@Tab:
He is quite possibly the bravest man since planet earth came into inception to be protected by 2,000 security personnel.
@excalibur:
That's because there nothing wrong with the commando. Had there been a genuine ailment, the premier cardiology institution run by the army would have diagnosed something tangible. But instead, this institute chose to keep Musharraf under observation for nothing.....did I mention that the diagnosis lasted for 3 months and that too at the expense of tax payers?! Go figure.
@Ahmed:
They've made the federal government a respondent, a government whose position is already clear. Get the picture yet? Waste of money, waste of time.
@Ahmed: Seems they are crawling out of the woodwork.
It is such a sad occasion that a brave son of the soil who has always put the country first has to leave the country for good.
@Khan: you deserve the corrupt!
When Shahzadi Marium Nawaz Sharif can go to London for a sprained ankle why Musharraf cannot go abroad for treatment ?
Keep the ban in place. Not allowed to leave.
.....and Nawaz flies to the KSA.....to assure them that all is as agreed.......who says we are not a sovereign nation ?
@aaaaa: I am sure those in-charge know better than you! (and they have accepted the plea). Your advice is not needed.
He wants to flee from pakistan. He should not be allowed to leave the country.
The court has already said that it is upto the government to decide on this issue. Or a ground is being made for Musharraft,to leave Pakistan? Only time will tell.
Should be dismissed, just like all other identical applications to other courts have been dismissed. This is clearly the government's decision, which has declined to remove his name from ECL. End of story.
May Allah bless u sir!