Pakistan's Interior Minister says Musharraf can't leave country

ISLAMABAD (Xinhua) - Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Saturday that former military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, cannot leave the country as his name is included in the list of those who are barred from going abroad.

The comments came amid strong speculations in the Pakistan that Musharraf can leave the country under a deal with the government.

However, the Interior Minister said Musharraf's name is included in the Exit Control List and he can only leave the country if allowed by the highest judiciary.  

"Musharraf's name was on Exit Control List and it would not be removed till the court's decision," Khan told a news conference in Islamabad.

Speculations of Musharraf's leaving the country gripped Pakistan after he granted in third criminal case against him few days ago.

On Thursday, the police formally arrested the former President in murder case of a religious cleric, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in a military raid on Islamabad's Red Mosque in 2007. Ghazi, the deputy prayers leader, was among the 90 religious students, killed during the operation.

Musharraf was also charged in the murder case of the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the killing of a senior tribal elder Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006 and placing top judges illegally under house arrest during his rule. He already got bail in two cases.

The former military ruler also faces high treason case and the government has formally approached the Supreme Court to start the trial. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had himself declared to initiate high treason case against Musharraf for abrogating the constitution when he sacked his government in 1999 and later suspended the constitution in 2007 when he had imposed emergency rule.

The apex court had ordered the government to question Musharraf as to why he had dismissed an elected government and in what circumstances he had suspended the constitutions in 2007.

The Interior Minister said that the Federal Investigation Agency has been directed to accelerate investigation into the treason case against former president and present the report as soon as possible. He said the investigators have been directed to complete investigation in six weeks.