LOC14:37
11:37 GMT
ISLAMABAD, June 23 (KUNA) -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday suspended the provincial High Court's prior decision to strike off name of former president Pervez Musharraf from the Exit Control List (ECL) that barred him from leaving the country.
A five-judge bench of the apex (supreme) court accepted the government's plea, challenging the decision of the provincial court that had ordered the removal of Musharraf's name from the ECL.
The Government of Pakistan maintains that Musharraf is the only accused in the treason case and there are other pending cases against him in courts, thus he should not be allowed to leave the country.
The appeal stated that Musharraf should not be allowed to leave the country until the cases against him are decided.
Earlier, Musharraf, dubbed in the past as "Pakistan's military strongman," had appealed to the Sindh High Court (SHC) to remove his name so he may travel freely. The SHC ordered to put his name off the ECL but said that the operation of its judgment was suspended for 15 days enabling the federation to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.
The 70 years old Musharraf came back to Pakistan in 2013, after four years of self imposed exile, to participate in general elections, but the judicial authorities imposed a lifetime ban on his participation in the polls.
Musharraf faced a number of cases against him, including a high treason case in March over the emergency imposed during his rule in 2007.
He has been suffering from "medical complications" and has filed a petition that he wants to visit his sick mother in Dubai, arguing that he has a bail in all cases against him and considers himself as a free man. (end)
sbk.rk