Musharraf moves SHC to get name removed from ECL

Former president Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday filed a petition in the Sindh High Court to get his name removed from the Exit Control List (ECL).
His lawyer AQ Halepota told the court that Musharraf has been granted bail in all four cases and there was no reason to put his name in the ECL.
The court issued notices to the federal government and the Interior Ministry to seek their recommendations.
Musharraf was placed on exit control list by the director general immigration and passport on April 7 last after issuance of directive by Sindh High Court while granting him protective bail. A circular was issued to all the exit points, including the airports not to let the former president leave the country.
According to a private TV channel, a bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, was seized with the hearing of the application filed by the former army chief. The former president wanted the court to modify its earlier order, which had restrained him from leaving the country without permission of trial courts.
Halepota had told the court on March 29 that Musharraf had appeared before the SHC’s division bench and requested a 21-day transitory bail to enable him to appear and surrender before the trial courts in the killing of Nawab Bugti and Benazir Bhutto cases.
Halepota told the bench that the court extended his bail for 21 days with the condition that the applicant, Musharraf, would not leave the country without permission from the trial courts, adding that following the court’s orders his name was placed on the ECL.
Halepota explained that Musharraf wanted to leave for Dubai to enquire the health of his 95-year-old mother, who is seriously ill and unable to travel to Pakistan. He said Musharraf wanted to be with his mother.
Placing the former general on ECL was a violation of fundamental rights, Halepota added. Therefore, he pleaded the court to modify its earlier order regarding putting his clients name on ECL.
After hearing initial arguments, the SHC bench issued a notice to the deputy attorney general, advocate general and prosecutor general Sindh to file comments by November 18.
Meanwhile, a high treason case is still pending against Musharraf as the Federal Investigation Agency has yet to start its proceedings. The Supreme Court had referred this case to the federal government to initiate the high treason case against the former army chief for twice holding the constitution in abeyance.
Earlier this May, Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, during which they reportedly discussed Musharraf’s fate.
PML-N sources had said there was growing sense within the party’s ranks that Musharraf’s presence in the country and his possible trial could distract the new government from pressing issues. If the former president is allowed to leave the country under the pretext of his mother’s illness or any other reason, the party should not object to it, the sources said.
Reportedly, a message had been circulating within the army that Musharraf would be allowed to leave the country soon. The ‘message’ was conveyed in a bid to pacify growing unease within the army over the trial of its former chief.