Pakistan to appeal Musharraf ruling

The Pakistani government is to appeal a court ruling allowing ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf to leave the country.

Pakistan's government has filed an appeal with the country's Supreme Court seeking to overturn a decision allowing ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf to leave the country, his lawyer says.

"The federal government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court," Ahmad Raza Kasuri, a member of Musharraf's legal team, told AFP on Saturday.

The move comes after a court in Karachi on Thursday ordered the lifting of a travel ban imposed on the 70-year-old, a ruling his supporters hoped would draw a line under a raft of legal troubles.

Musharraf has been battling several court cases -- including treason charges for imposing emergency rule in 2007 -- since he returned to Pakistan last year to contest elections, stoking tensions between civilian authorities and the powerful military.

Akram Sheikh, a senior lawyer who is the chief prosecutor in the treason case, confirmed an appeal had come from the attorney general's office.

"I hope it will be fixed for (hearing on) Monday," he added.

Observers say the former general's exit from Pakistan could help ease tensions between the army and civilian authorities at a time when the country is fighting a resurgent Taliban following a brazen attack on Karachi's airport last week.


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