Sindh HC rejects Musharraf's petition on ECL

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by former military ruler Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf seeking a review of the court's earlier decision to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) after 15 days.

According to Dawn, the review petition filed by the counsel of the former military strongman had requested the court to immediately implement its decision instead of waiting for 15 days for the government to challenge the decision.

The petition had contended that Musharraf should be allowed to travel abroad to meet his ailing mother.

On June 12, the court had struck down the federal government's order of preventing Musharraf from leaving the country, but said the former military ruler would have to wait for two weeks to find out if he could actually travel abroad as the court also suspended the operation of its judgment for 15 days, which enabled the federation to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had suspended the SHC order till it decided the government's appeal against removing Musharraf's name from the ECL.

It said that the federal government could not take the risk of allowing the former president to leave the country because there was a great incentive for him to flee in view of a treason case that involved the death penalty.