Pakistan to appeal ruling allowing Musharraf to leave country: Lawyer

Islamabad: Pakistan`s government on Saturday 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 said.

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