LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave an opportunity to former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf for returning to country till 2:00 pm tomorrow (June 14).
The bench held that if the former president failed to appear in the court by 2:00 pm tomorrow then a decision would
be taken on his eligibility to contest elections, as per law.
The bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar passed the orders while hearing Musharraf's appeal against his 2013 disqualification by the Peshawar High Court, at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry.
The chief justice remarked that the court was not bound to Musharraf's terms after his counsel insisted on blanket guarantee for his security.
It has already been said that if Musharraf returns, then security will be provided to him. "We are not bound to provide a written guarantee in this regard", he added.
The CJP held that if he did not come then the scrutiny of his nomination papers would not be permitted, adding that if Pervez Musharraf is a commando, he should show us by returning instead of continuously repeating rhetoric like a politician that he would return. "Why does Musharraf need protection, what is he so afraid of ?" the CJP wondered.
"Musharraf should face the Constitution, the law, the nation and the courts," Justice Nisar said, adding that the court would examine whether it should give permission to Musharraf to come or go, or his name should be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) or not.
He further observed that the SC did not allow Musharraf to travel abroad. The government removed his name from the Exit Control List, he added.
Earlier, Musharraf's counsel requested that former president's nomination papers for the 2013 election be restored since the high court verdict on the basis of which they were rejected had been made in absentia.
He further stated that Musharraf was ready to face an ongoing treason case against him, but he should be provided a guarantee of protection.
"He has Parkinson's disease, so a medical board will need to be set up," the counsel added. At this, the CJP said that a medical board would be formed, if Musharraf returns in an air ambulance.
On last hearing, the SC had issued a directive permitting Musharraf to file nomination papers for the July 25 general elections on the condition that he will appear in person before the court on June 13 in Lahore to attend a hearing.
The court had made clear that the fate of Musharraf's nomination papers would be subject to the final decision in the present case.
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