ISLAMABAD
AGENCIES
As a sessions court ordered former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf to appear before it on July 23 at all costs in Lal Masjid murder case, the Supreme Court (SC) Tuesday issued a detailed order on case regarding the removal of Musharraf’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
In a four-page verdict, written by Justice Nasirul Mulk, the apex court raised five questions.
Firstly, the court questioned if the court’s April 8, 2013 decision was interim.
Secondly, SC asked if on the basis of integration of law, the interim decision was included in the final decision.
Thirdly, it was inquired if the Sindh High Court (SHC) could suspend the April 5, 2013 decision to put Musharraf’s name on the ECL.
Fourthly, the court asked if Musharraf could be allowed to travel abroad without changing the court order.
Lastly, the SC questioned if the government’s decision to put Musharraf’s name on the ECL according to the 2010 rules.
Earlier, on June 23, the top court had suspended the Sindh High Court (SHC)’s June 12 verdict regarding the removal of the former president’s name from the ECL.
The SHC had ordered the government to remove Musharraf’s name from the ECL. However, it had also granted a 15-day time period in which federal government could file an appeal in the SC against the order.
LAL MASJID CASE:
In the meanwhile, additional district and sessions court on Tuesday exempted Musharraf from appearing in person for one day, ordering him and his guarantor to be present at all costs during the next hearing in Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi murder case.
During the hearing of the case, Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid Ali Khan approved the exemption plea filed by Musharraf from hearing, summoning him on July 23, and said that legal action will be taken if Musharraf fails to appear before the court in the next hearing.
Earlier, the government prosecutor pleaded to the court for legal action against Musharraf and his guarantors over their absence from the hearing.
Musharraf’s lawyer Akhtar Shah submitted his client’s medical report, requesting for exemption. He argued that according to the report, which was prepared by a team of five doctors from a private hospital in Karachi.
The lawyer also argued that Musharraf could not appear before the court because of security reasons, adding that the defence was not asking for permanent exemption.
Musharraf has been accused of murdering former prayer leader of Lal Masjid Abdul Rasheed Ghazi during the 2007 operation.