Dubai: Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Dubai from Karachi on Friday morning after a three-year of travel ban was lifted for an urgent medical treatment.
Musharraf’s close aide said that the former president flew to Dubai as he is in need of urgent spinal surgery.
“Musharraf intends to go back to Pakistan after his medical treatment as he wants to serve the country,” said Dr Muhammad Amjad, Secretary General of All Pakistan Muslim Leage (APML) – a political party which is led by Musharraf.
Amjad told journalists in Dubai that a team of doctors would decide about Musharraf's next destination for medical treatment.
Musharraf arrived in Dubai on Emirates flight 611 at 5am on Friday.
Some of his supporters reached the airport to welcome him but they could not meet him as he was taken from the VIP terminal to his home.
The Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said on Thursday the government had formally allowed Pervez Musharraf, retired four-star army general, to travel abroad to receive medical treatment.
Nisar said Musharraf’s lawyers had given guarantees that he would return to Pakistan after six weeks and that he would appear in court for ongoing cases against him.
On February 25, Pervez Musharraf went to the apex court, seeking one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment, saying he required a surgery as soon as possible to avoid serious medical complications.
The retired general was banned from leaving the country in 2013 after he returned to Pakistan in March 24, 2013 with an ambition to contest elections.
He was barred from taking part in the polls and instead faces a numerous cases.
Lawyers for the former president, who is facing multiple charges including treason and murder over the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, have said he needs urgent medical treatment not available in Pakistan.
“I am going abroad for treatment but will return to face the cases against me. I am a commando and I love my motherland,” a party spokesman in Karachi quoted him as saying.
“Six to eight weeks are required for the treatment and then he would go back home,” said Dr Amjad Malik, a spokesman for Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League party in Dubai.
Musharraf as Pakistan’s Army Chief had seized power from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a coup in 1999.
He served as Pakistan president till 2008 when a democratically-elected government came into power and ousted him.
He then left the country to live in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.
But he decided to go back to Pakistan in 2013 after forming his political party – APML – to participate in elections but his plans badly flopped as he ended up facing court cases against him.
