SHC reserves ruling on plea seeking removal of Musharraf's name from ECL

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday reserved its ruling on a petition calling for the removal of the name of former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf from the exit control list, DawnNews reported. A two-judge bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heard the petition. The ruling was reserved after Musharraf's counsel Barrister Farogh Naseem and Attorney General Pakistan Salman Aslam Butt concluded their arguments on the matter. Naseem stated in his arguments that Musharraf's name should be removed from the ECL as his backbone had a fracture and the requisite treatment was not possible in Pakistan. He added that the case against Musharraf did not involve charges of treason but of abrogating the country's constitution. Naseem further said that Musharraf was being victimised and that his trial was being pursued for political reasons and not to ensure the administration of justice. Speaking to media representatives, Butt said that if Musharraf managed to leave the country, he would not return. He added that Musharraf did not trust the judicial process to work in his favour, adding that the cases against the former army strongman were of a grave nature. The attorney general insisted that Musharraf was faced with treason charges, adding that deciding on whether or not to remove his name from the ECL did not fall within the remit of the SHC.