LAHORE – The Supreme Court has ordered the National Database and Registration Authority to unblock the national identity card (NIC) and passport of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
During the hearing of the treason case against Musharraf on Monday, NADRA chief Usman Mubeen informed the court that the former president could not return to Pakistan as his NIC was blocked.
Upon this, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar ordered NADRA to retract its decision, observing that his return could be hindered by the NIC blockage.
‘Musharraf should come back and face the charges filed against him,’ remarked the top judge while hearing the case at supreme court’s Lahore registry.
The apex court also ordered the constitution of a tribunal within two days for Musharraf’s trial.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/supreme-court-summons-general-r-pervez-musharraf-with-no-arrest-assurance/
Last week, NADRA had blocked the national identity card of former chief of army staff-turned-president, after the outgoing Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz government forwarded a request in this regard; confusion is prevalent whether PML-N regime actually made a request or NADRA’s decision was based on court directives.
The former president was also said to have been deprived of the right to sell more than 10 of his properties in Pakistan, including four plots in Karachi and three in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the top court ordered the former military dictator to return back to the country and allowed him to file nomination papers for the upcoming polls.
The top judge had also assured that Musharraf would not be arrested upon return – a move disliked by Nawaz Sharif, the former premier.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) had announced lifetime disqualification for former president Pervez Musharraf prior to the 2013 general election; Musharraf had filed a plea in 2016 in the Supreme Court against the verdict.
