Pakistan

To offer condolences: Musharraf’s request to visit Saudi royal family rejected

Govt refuses to remove ex- president’s name from ECL

Our Correspondent January 30, 2015

General (retd) Pervez Musharraf enjoys close personal ties with the Saudi rulers. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: The government has rejected former military general Pervez Musharraf’s plea seeking permission to proceed abroad to offer condolences with the family of the late Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government was reportedly considering the request. “The government rejected former president Pervez Musharraf’s plea as they said they are unable to entertain a request to remove the former president’s name from the Exit Control List,” confirmed Faisal Chaudhry, counsel for Pervez Musharraf. “Our legal team will decide how to pursue this matter.”

The former president enjoys close personal ties with the Saudi ruling family and wrote a letter to the interior ministry last week asking for the removal of his name from the ECL. “President (retd) Pervez Musharraf is desirous to visit Saudi Arabia to express his heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of King Abdullah,” reads the letter.

This week, the PML-N’s senior leadership held marathon meetings in Murree and Islamabad to discuss the issue. Some senior leaders were in favour of allowing the former president to leave the country but the prime minister finally asked Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar to put the matter before the Supreme Court, a senior official privy to the development said on Thursday.

“As Musharraf was barred by the apex court from travelling abroad, we are unable to lift his name from the ECL,” the official said. He added that the decision was made in consultation with the ministries of interior and law and justice and human rights.

Last year, the Supreme Court suspended the Sindh High Court’s verdict regarding the removal of Musharraf’s name from the ECL. “The bench granted leave to determine whether or not the principle of merger can be applied in this case. In view of this order, the name of Pervez Musharraf will remain on the ECL,” Musharraf’s counsel Chaudhry Faisal Hussain commented on the court’s short order.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.