Reply in SHC says govt has been unable to prove anything against the former military ruler
Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s lawyer Farogh Nasim submitted a reply at the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday which stated that cases against the former president were politically motivated and therefore Musharraf’s name should be removed from the Exit Control List (ECL).
The reply said that the government had not been able to prove anything in the cases against the former military ruler.
On Monday, the federal government had raised objections over the SHC’s authority to accept a petition regarding the removal of Musharraf’s name from the ECL.
In response to the high court’s notice, the government had strongly opposed allowing Musharraf to leave the country on any ground and stated that he is accused in other high profile cases and may therefore be awarded capital punishment.
The government had also contended that allowing Musharraf to go abroad for treatment would be a violation of Article 25 of the Constitution as adequate medical facilities are available in Pakistan.
The reply had stated that Musharraf’s name was included on the ECL first on April 5, 2013 by the federal government and that the Supreme Court on April 8, 2013, had also directed the federal government to place his name on the ECL.
The petitioner had approached this court (SHC) after more than a year against the order dated April 5, 2013. The instant petition was therefore hit by the ‘doctrine of laches’ and the same was therefore liable to be dismissed with costs.