ISLAMABAD: The government rejected on Wednesday a request by former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf seeking removal of his name from the exit control list (ECL).

“The request has been considered on the basis of record of pronouncements of the superior courts on the cited subject and pending criminal cases in various courts. The federal government is unable to accede to your request in public interest,” reads a letter written by the interior ministry to Mr Musharraf.

The former president had submitted the request on March 31 after the Special Court, which indicted him in the treason case, ruled that it was for the government to decide whether to keep his name on the ECL or not.

Political analysts believe that the government played safe by abruptly making a decision on Mr Musharraf’s request when rumours were making rounds that the former dictator may fly to Dubai if his name was removed from the ECL.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had consultative sessions with his party men on Tuesday, but most of them opposed a safe exit to Mr Musharraf.

Sources told Dawn that the government’s decision was also conveyed to the military leadership.

The sources said the interior ministry’s letter was delivered to Mr Musharraf at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi.

A source close to Mr Musharraf said “most probably we will soon be filing a petition with the Supreme Court”.

Prominent lawyer S.M. Zafar told Dawn it appeared to be more of a game of politics between the executive and the judiciary, with both sending the ball in each other’s court.

He said the only remedy available for Mr Musharraf was to go to the Supreme Court as both the Special Court and the executive had not taken a decision.

He pointed out that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was allowed to leave the country while cases against her were pending in courts. Nawaz Sharif was also allowed to proceed abroad even after his conviction by a court, he added.

“This relief can also be given to Musharraf if he approaches the Supreme Court,” he remarked.

The former military ruler’s spokesman, retired Gen Rashid Qureshi, described the whole episode as ping pong between the government and the judiciary. He said the Sindh High Court had held that it was the federal government’s discretion to allow Mr Musharraf to travel abroad and a similar ruling was given by the special court.

He said it was surprising that the government once again had left the matter to the judiciary. “It could be a delaying tactic or lack of decision-making power. It appears the government wants to torture Mr Musharraf,” Rashid Qureshi said.

He said the government’s bias against the former president had become evident now. Nawaz Sharif was on record having said that he had nothing personal against Mr Musharraf, but the statement of his ministers Khawaja Asif, Saad Rafiq and Ahsan Iqbal betrayed their bias, he added.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said more than once that Mr Musharraf’s name was there on the ECL and would remain there till a court ruled to remove it, saying that the name was put on ECL on the court’s orders. He later said that the government had put his name on the ECL on its own as well in view of the cases of serious nature pending before courts.