ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military ruler, pleaded not guilty to treason charges on Monday after being formally indicted by a special court here, according to lawyers in the case.

The indictment was a turning point for Pakistan, where the military has long dominated the civilian leadership and no military ruler has ever been tried for abuse of power.

But the court proceedings on Monday might also have a silver lining for Mr. Musharraf, who requested that the special court panel allow him to travel abroad to seek medical treatment. The three-member panel did not reject his request outright, suggesting that Mr. Musharraf could approach the government about having his name removed from the list of people barred from leaving the country.

Muhammad Farogh Naseem, a lawyer for Mr. Musharraf, said the former leader had already asked the Interior Ministry for permission to leave. Earlier, Mr. Naseem urged the court to allow Mr. Musharraf to travel to the United Arab Emirates to visit his ailing mother in a hospital, and to be allowed to go to the United States for his own treatment.