Expunging Musharraf's name from ECL: SC to hear govt's appeal on October 1

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Tuesday announced the schedule for hearing an appeal filed by the government against Sindh High Court’s decision to remove former President Pervez Musharraf’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL), with a hearing set for October 1, 2014.

A five judge larger bench of the apex court headed by chief justice Nasirul Mulk is hearing federal government’s appeal against SHC’s June 12 order for removing Musharraf’s name from ECL.

The apex court had on June 23 suspended SHC’s judgement, and adjourned the hearing for four weeks. However, another hearing of the case could not take place.

The apex court on July 25 had rejected the former president’s plea for scheduling the hearing immediately after Eidul Fitr.

Chaudhry Faisal Hussain, who is part of Musharraf’s legal team, told The Express Tribune that he had complete trust on the judiciary, and hoped that his client would get justice.

“Ongoing protests have not given any advantage to our client as he is still facing the trial,” he said. “It is propaganda by the government. They’re interlinking the ongoing political impasse with high treason case.”

Hussain debunked speculation that the government had agreed to allow Musharraf to leave the country.

The former military dictator is facing four criminal cases including one high treason case filed by the federal government.

Before the government had filed its complaint, four petitions had been filed before the Supreme Court with the plea that the government should be directed to try Musharraf under the High Treason Act 1973.

Musharraf had been placed on the ECL on April 5, 2013, following a Sindh High Court order on March 29, wherein it was directed that he will not leave the country without permission of the trial court.