ISLAMABAD-
The Federal Government on Saturday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court (SC), seeking to overturn a decision allowing former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf to leave the country, his legal team member Ahmed Raza Kasuri has said.
The appeal follows Sindh High Court’s order on Thursday to lift a travel ban imposed on Musharraf, a ruling his supporters hoped would draw a line under a raft of legal troubles.
The ruling was to be implemented on June 27— 15 days after it was announced —to allow the government to file an appeal, according to Musharraf’s lawyer.
Musharraf has been battling several court cases—including treason charges for imposing emergency rule in 2007—since he returned to Pakistan last year to contest elections, stoking tensions between civilian authorities and the powerful military.
Akram Sheikh, a senior lawyer who is the chief prosecutor in the treason case, confirmed an appeal had come from the attorney general’s office. “I hope it will be fixed for [hearing on] Monday,” he added.
Observers say the former general’s exit from Pakistan could help ease tensions between the Army and civilian authorities at a time when the country is fighting a resurgent Taliban following a brazen attack on Karachi’s airport last week.