Aamir Qureshi—AFP
Having posted bail in all pending cases, former president is still barred from exiting Pakistan.
Pakistan’s former president and Army chief Pervez Musharraf asked a court on Tuesday for permission to travel to Dubai for personal reasons.
Musharraf, who was recently released from house arrest and faces grave security threats, has been embroiled in controversial legal battles since his return home from self-exile ahead of the May elections. Musharraf has posted bail in four cases, but remains under heavy security at his home in Islamabad and is not permitted to leave the country.
Tuesday’s move could open the way for the 70-year-old to finally leave Pakistan, averting a potential showdown between the Army and the government. His lawyer A. Q. Hallipota moved the Sindh High Court yesterday to have Musharraf’s name removed from the Exit Control List.
“Since he has been bailed in all the cases against him, keeping his name on the Exit Control List is unjust,” said Asiya Ishaq, a spokesperson for Musharraf’s All-Pakistan Muslim League. “This is his legal right to travel anywhere as a free citizen of this country. He also wants to see his ailing mother in Dubai.” Afshan Adil, a member of Musharraf’s legal team, expects the court to approve her client’s travel request. “His mother is in critical condition, she has been admitted to the intensive-care unit of the hospital and he needs to see her,” she said.
The court is expected to rule on Musharraf’s application on Nov. 18.