IHC rejects petition to add Musharraf's name to ECL

Published October 11, 2013
(FILES) In this photograph taken on April 20, 2013 former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf (C) is escorted by soldiers as he arrives at an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.  — Photo by AFP
(FILES) In this photograph taken on April 20, 2013 former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf (C) is escorted by soldiers as he arrives at an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court rejected a petition submitted by Haroon Rasheed Ghazi, a son of the slain Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, which sought to add Musharraf’s name to the Exit Control List, DawnNews reported.

The court said that the former president was already under custody of police adding that it was the Interior Ministry's responsibility to add names to the ECL.

Earlier, the bench led by acting Chief Justice of the IHC Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan while adjourning the hearing had reserved its judgment.

In his petition Ghazi had claimed that the Aabpara police station in Islamabad was investigating Musharraf for ordering the Lal Masjid operation in 2007, and therefore he should be barred from leaving the country as the former dictator may not return again if he was allowed to leave .

Meanwhile, an Islamabad sessions court hearing the Lal Masjid cleric's murder case sent the former military strongman on a 14-day judicial remand.

The court had earlier rejected the request of Islamabad police seeking physical remand of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf.

Police had submitted a request seeking five-day-remand of the former dictator over the case pertaining to the alleged murder of cleric Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his wife during the Lal Masjid military operation.

The bench hearing the case rejected the police request saying that the remand could not be granted without producing the accused in court.

Police had registered a case against Musharraf last month after receiving an order from the Islamabad High Court over the murder of the Abdul Rashid Ghazi during the 2007 Lal Masjid operation.

Earlier on Thursday Pakistan’s former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was arrested in Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) killing case just hours after submitting surety bonds in the Supreme Court.

The bonds were submitted in connection to the three other major cases pending against the former president, namely the Benazir Bhutto murder case, judges' detention case and the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

Musharraf was granted bail the other cases and his lawyer had said on Wednesday he was cleared to leave the country.

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