Scrolled It

Name off ECL: SHC seeks reply from federal govt, FIA over Musharraf's plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the federal government and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to respond to former president Pervez Musharraf’s plea for removing his name from the Exit Control List (ECL), Express Newsreported.

Musharraf’s lawyer Farogh Nasim filed the application earlier today and requested for an early hearing which was granted. In the application, Musharraf had pleaded that not a single court has imposed restriction on his movement and hence he should be allowed to fly abroad.

During the hearing, Nasim argued that the former president wanted to meet his ailing mother in Dubai and should be permitted to travel freely.

The two-member divisional bench consisting of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Khalid Hussain Bhatti issued notices and sought comments from the interior secretary, director general FIA, director FIA Sindh, additional director FIA Immigration and deputy attorney journal over the issue. The hearing was then adjourned till April 23.

The name of the former president was put on ECL on April 5, 2013 by the interior ministry to ensure Musharraf remained in the country and attended hearings of all the cases he was involved in.

On March 31, Musharraf was formally charged for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. Musharraf had rejected the charges levelled against him.

Apart from the high treason case, Musharraf was also named as an accused in the Benazir Bhutto and Akbar Bugti murder cases.

Bugti murder case

Two guarantors of Musharraf appeared before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta for the hearing of Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

During the hearing, the guarantors informed the bench about Musharraf’s arrival in Karachi for medical checkup and said that he will appear in person in the next hearing.

Dissatisfied with Musharraf’s constant absence, the court adjourned the hearing till May 19 and asked the guarantors to ensure that the former president appears in court on the decided date.