Benazir’s assassination: Musharraf to be served warrants in London

Court also seeking the former president's address in Britain for a red warrant.

RAWALPINDI:

Non-bailable arrest warrants for former president Pervez Musharraf were reissued by an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday, to be sent on his London address.

During the course of hearing at Adiala jail, deputy director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Khalid Rasool informed the court that FIA officials went to Musharraf’s Chak Shahzad residence with the arrest warrants, but were told he currently resides in London.

Public prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar requested the court to reissue the arrest warrants.

The court subsequently directed the FIA to produce him by March 5.

The former president is allegedly involved in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto due to his failure to provide her with adequate security on December 27, 2007.

Musharraf, despite being aware of the imminent danger to Bhutto’s life, did not take the requisite security measures to prevent her assassination, according to a 57-page report submitted earlier in the court.

Meanwhile, former city police officer Saud Aziz and superintendent police Khurram Shahzad were not formally indicted on technical grounds, as their counsel Mailk Waheed Anjum informed the court that the FIA had not provided them with complete copies of the charge sheet.

The court directed the FIA to hand over the copies of the charge-sheet to the defence lawyer.

Both the former police officials are allegedly involved in Bhutto’s assassination on charges of providing inadequate security to the former premier on December 27, and hosing down the crime scene after her assassination.

The FIA has submitted three charge-sheets in this case, with the first submitted in May 2010 that held responsible the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The second charge-sheet submitted in September 2010 held responsible former police officials Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad while the third charge sheet submitted in February held Musharraf responsible for Bhutto’s assassination.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2011.