General Raheel Sharif Helped Me In Leaving Pakistan: Musharraf

Former President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf has claimed that the outgoing army chief General Raheel Sharif helped him leave the country by keeping the government from pressuring the courts. Participating in a talk show on Monday night, Musharraf said:

Well he (Raheel Sharif) did help me. I have been his boss and I have been the Army Chief before him.….Behind the scenes, the army chief had a role to release that pressure by dealing with the government….Once he (Gen 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..

Musharraf had left the country for Dubai in March earlier this year hours after the interior ministry issued a notification to remove his name from the exit control list. The government notification followed the Supreme Court's order to lift the ban on his foreign travel.

But the order from the top court had come with the rider that the federal government or the three-judge special court trying the retired general for treason was free to make decisions to regulate his custody or restrict his movement. The retired general is facing treason charges for imposing emergency rule in November 2007, arresting judges and limiting their powers. His name was kept on the exit control list for more than 20 months.

With IANS Inputs