A day after indictment: Govt advised to let Musharraf see his mother

ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Raheel Sharif is said to have suggested to the government let Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf go abroad for his medical treatment and to look after his ailing mother. The issue of Musharraf’s possible exit was discussed during a meeting between Gen Raheel and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday. Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam also attended the ‘informal consultations’ to decide the fate of Musharraf. Both chiefs were supposed to attend a meeting on national security to discuss the future strategy for talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but the meeting was postponed due to developments taking place on Musharraf’s front. There was no official release regarding the high-level meeting between the prime minister and army chief. A source, however, confirmed the development and insisted that it was informal meeting to discuss the future of Musharraf. A well-informed security official told The Express Tribune that Musharraf’s name should be removed from the exit control list after a clear verdict by the special court, which is trying the former army chief for treason charges. The three-judge special court in its ruling stated that it had no objections if the federal government removes travel ban on Musharraf for medical treatment. “There is no legal issue left now and it is purely a political decision,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The official said that Gen Raheel told the prime minister that Musharraf’s case now ‘should come to a close’. “The sooner the better,” the official said, adding that Musharraf’s mother was ‘seriously ill’ and he wanted to be with her at the earliest. Another official pointed out that Musharraf had already been indicted and the time had come to ‘move on’. “That is the message the army chief has delivered to the government,” he added. When contacted, the military’s media wing refused to comment on the issue. Insiders are of the view that given the army’s crucial support for government’s peace initiative, it will be extremely difficult for the prime minister to ignore Gen Raheel’s advice on Musharraf. Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2014.