Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has revealed that the ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif helped him leave the country after he was placed on the nation's Exit Control List (ECL).
The Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) on April 8, 2013 had ordered the government to place Musharraf on the ECL to ensure that he did not leave the country until the court order was modified. He was put on the restricted list as he was due to stand trial under Article 6 of the Constitution under charges of treason.
Musharraf, while participating in a talk show on Dunya News on Monday night, said that the ex-army head assisted him in getting out of the country by pressuring the courts to let him go.
"Well he (Raheel Sharif) did help me. I have been his boss and I have been the army chief before him. He helped out, because the cases are politicised, they put me on the Exit Control List (ECL), they turned it into a political issue," Musharraf said.
"Behind the scenes, the army chief had a role to release that pressure by dealing with the government. Once he (General Sharif) got the government to relieve the pressure that they were exerting, the courts gave their judgement and allowed me to go abroad for treatment," he added.
The statement from the former Pak president came weeks after General Sharif retired last month after finishing his three-year tenure as the Pakistan army chief. He is now succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Musharraf in March, 2016 left for Dubai to seek medical treatment for his heart condition hours after the courts removed him from the ECL list.
"Army has always had a role since our independence. Army has played a prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, partially, because, or mainly because of mis-governance by all of the so-called democratically elected governments," Musharraf had said.
The former Pak president is facing treason charges in the nation for imposing emergency rule in November 2007, arresting judges and limiting their powers. Apart from this case, Musharraf is also being tried in murder cases of former Pak prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed.
