ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed the petition of the former director general, National Crisis Management Cell and ‘prime’ witness in Benazir case, Brigadier (retired) Javed Iqbal Cheema, seeking removal of his name from the exit control list (ECL).

Mr Cheema, once an aide of former President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, happened to be a witness in the murder case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. His name was put on ECL in 2009.

Legal counsel for Brigadier Cheema told the court that his client was removed from the post on April 18, 2010.

He said his client moved an application to the ministry of interior this month seeking permission to travel abroad for the treatment of his wife suffering from liver cancer.

The ministry of interior, however, turned down his request as his name was on the ECL.

The counsel told the court that though his name was on the ECL, his client had already traveled abroad three times with the permission of the interior ministry.

But now the ministry had refused to grant permission.

The court, however, dismissed the petition at initial stage without even issuing notice to the ministry and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, Special Public Prosecutor of the FIA told Dawn that Brigadier Cheema was a material witness against General Musharraf.

He said that he had convened the press conference soon after the death of Ms Bhutto and before even commencement of investigation held Baitullah Mehsud responsible for the attack.

According to him, Mr Cheema in his statement recorded before the FIA had admitted that he convened the press conference on the instructions of Mr Musharraf.

The day to day trial of BB murder case is starting from Tuesday and if the ministry removes his name from ECL, it will be difficult for the prosecution to bring him back and produce him before the court, he added.