Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday issued notices to federal law officer, chief provincial law officer and prosecutor general Sindh, asking them to submit their comments on a application filed by Pervez Musharraf seeking the removal of his name form Exit Control List (ECL). A division bench of SHC, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, was seized with the hearing of application filed by former army chief and President of Pakistan, who pleaded the court to modify its earlier order, restraining him from leaving country without permission of trial courts.
Applicant's counsel, AQ Halepota, submitted before the court that on March 29, 2013, Musharraf appeared before an SHC division bench and requested it for a 21-day-transitory bail for enabling him to appear and surrender before the trial courts in two cases pertaining to the killing of Akbar Bugti and Benazir Bhutto. He told a two-judge bench that the court extended his bail for 21 days with the condition that the applicant, Pervez Musharraf, would not leave the country without permission from the trial courts, adding that following the court orders Musharraf's name was placed on ECL.
Halepota submitted that trial courts had confirmed Musharraf's bail in two cases pertaining to assassination of Benazir Bhutto and Killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti. He said that former army chief was also granted a bail in case relating to murder of Lal Masjid cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed during the army operation in 2007.
He said that Musharraf wanted to leave for Dubai to enquire the health of his 95-year-old mother who is unable to travel to Pakistan. He stated that it was uppermost desire of Musharraf to be with his mother after he had been released on bail in cases against him. Halepota said that placing the name of former army chief on Exit Control List (ECL) was a violation of fundamental rights. Therefore, he pleaded to the court to modify its earlier order regarding putting his client's name on ECL. After hearing initial arguments, the SHC bench issued notice to deputy attorney general, advocate general and prosecutor general Sindh to file comments till November 18, 2013.