ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry turned down on Thursday retired Gen Pervez Musharraf’s request to be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia to offer condolences on the death of King Abdullah, a ministry’s official told Dawn.

The request was made in a letter the former military ruler had sent to the interior ministry on Jan 23 through his counsel Advocate Faisal Hussain.

The ministry responded to the letter on Thursday expressing the government’s inability to accede to the request.

“Assuming that you represent retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, it is informed that the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan restrained your client from

moving out of Pakistan until its orders were varied or modified,” reads the letter issued with the signatures of Aamir Sohail Langraw, section officer (exit control list) of the interior ministry.

Gen Musharraf is currently facing treason trial for imposing an emergency in 2007.

This was the second attempt made by the former president to proceed abroad since his return to the country before the 2013 general elections.

Earlier, he wanted to go to Dubai to see his ailing mother, but was advised by the government to call her to Pakistan for treatment.

In June last year, the Sindh High Court had ordered removal of his name from the ECL in 15 days and asked the parties opposing the decision to approach the Supreme Court within that period.

On June 23, the apex court had suspended the SHC judgment till a final decision on a government appeal.

The plea is still pending with the Supreme Court.

On April 8, 2013, the apex court had directed the government to place the name of Gen Musharraf on the exit control list and ensure that he did not move out of the country until its order was varied or modified.

Answering a question at a press conference on Thursday, Infor­mation Minister Pervez Rashid said Gen Musharraf had sent the application to the ‘wrong address’, adding that the former president should have filed a petition in the Supreme Court which had re­strained him from going abroad.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2015

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