Benazir assassination case: Testimonies of all police officials recorded

RAWALPINDI:

The last member of a police joint investigation team recorded his testimony in the long-running Benazri Bhutto assassination case.

SSP Waqar Chohan gave his testimony before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday. Chohan is the last member of a police joint investigation team that probed the assassination.

Only three more prosecution witnesses are now left to record their statements before the court, before it could hear final arguments in the case.

The police officer told the judge, Rai Muhammad Ayub Khan Marth, that two accused in the case — Aitezaz Shah and Sher Zaman — were arrested by Dera Ismail Khan Police, and that he travelled there to record their statements.

Chohan said the two accused confessed to being part of the plan to assassinate the former prime minister on orders of Baitullah Mehsud.

He said both the accused were shifted from DI Khan to Adiala Jail.

He said another two accused, Rafaqat and Hasnain, who were arrested in Rawalpindi, also said that they were sent by Mehsud to kill Bhutto.

Defence lawyers of the four accused also completed cross-examination of Chohan.

All accused including DIG Saud Aziz, SP Khurram Shehzad, Aitezaz Shah, Sher Zaman, Rafaqat, Hasnain, and Abdul Rashid were present in court.

The court will now record statements of three members of the FIA investigation team before hearing final arguments in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2016.