Afghanistan: Court backs Musharraf’s bid to leave Pakistan --- ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A Pakistani court in Karachi ordered the removal of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from the Exit Control List on Thursday, a move that lifts a ban against his travel abroad. -- The court gave the government 15 days to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court, said Musharraf’s lawyer, Farogh Naseem. There was no immediate reaction from the government. -- “The court has ordered the government to lift the ban imposed on . . . Musharraf’s travel and asked for the removal of his name from ECL,” Naseem told reporters. -- “The court has ordered the government to lift the ban imposed on . . . Musharraf’s travel and asked for the removal of his name from ECL,” Naseem told reporters. -- Pakistan’s former military ruler has said he wants to visit his ailing mother, who is hospitalized in Dubai, but could not do so because of the travel ban. He flew to Karachi from Islamabad in April for medical tests and treatment. -- He was indicted in March by a court in the Pakistani capital on treason charges. Prosecutors accused Musharraf, 70, of subverting the constitution, illegally imposing emergency rule in 2007 and removing the country’s chief justice. If convicted, Musharraf faces a possibly death penalty or life imprisonment. -- Pakistan has been long dominated by the country’s powerful military, and Musharraf’s case is seen here as a test for the supremacy of civilian rule. -- Musharraf’s treason case has also sparked tensions between the country’s civilian rulers and the military leadership. Allowing Musharraf to travel abroad is widely seen as a possible way to ease those tensions. -- The government has opposed Musharraf’s petition, saying he wants to leave the country to avoid facing the treason charges along with other cases. He also faces charges related to the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. -- The court’s decision on Thursday led to jubilation among Musharraf’s loyalists and party workers.