BHC upholds acquittal of accused in Bugti case

Jamil Bugti to file an appeal in SC against the verdict

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court upheld the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) absolving former president Pervez Musharraf, former interior minister Aftab Sherpao and ex-Balochistan home minister Shoaib Nausherwani of all charges in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case. All of the accused have been acquitted.

The divisional bench of BHC comprised Justice Jamal Mandokhel and Justice Nazir Ahmed Lango.



Nawab Akbar Bugti, chief of the Bugti tribe, was killed in a massive military action on August 26, 2006 in the Marri-Bugti hills in eastern Balochistan.

For months, the government resisted registering a murder case against the people responsible for the murder of Nawab Bugti.

Bugti’s son, Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, however, filed cases in the courts of law and finally succeeded in registering the murder case against former president Pervez Musharraf and others. Since it was considered a novel case, it was tried in Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) and the accused resisted and refused to appear before the court during the trial.

In absence of credible evidence, the ATC absolved former President General Pervez Musharraf and others of the murder charge.

Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti filed an appeal to the Balochistan High Court against the verdict of the ATC.



On Wednesday, the division bench upheld the verdict of the ATC trial court and dismissed the appeal of Jamil Akbar Bugti.

Former president Pervez Musharraf had shown contempt towards the courts, mainly the trial court, and refused to appear before it. Following in his footsteps, other functionaries also refused to appear before the court till the court announced its verdict acquitting all the accused in the case.

Following the verdict, Jamil Bugti’s counsel Sohail Rajput told the media that Bugti will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the verdict of the Balochistan High Court.