Benazir assasination: Police officers back in physical remand

ATC accepts demand after rejecting it earlier in December 2010.

ISLAMABAD: An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday sent former City Police Officer Saud Aziz and Superintendent Police Khurram Shahzad on physical remand.

Both police officials were produced before the ATC, where Judge Rana Nasir Ahmed ordered for them to be sent on eight days physical remand; following the judgement they were handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Earlier a division bench of the Lahore High Court comprising Justice Rauf Ahmed Sheikh and Justice Shahid Hameed Dar had directed the ATC to grant physical remand.

The joint investigation team of the FIA wanted to further investigate for the recovery of mobile phones which were used by the suspects on December 27, 2007. The prosecutor told the court that the team wants to recover cell phone of the slain leader as well as her shoes and clothes. Then through further investigation and after forensic laboratory tests it would be easy to reach the culprits.

Earlier in December 2010 the ATC had sent them on judicial remand for two weeks after having rejected the application of the FIA to extend their further physical.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2011.