ATC confiscates Musharraf's surety bonds in Benazir murder case
Former general has failed to submit details of his assets to court despite several warnings
Former President General (R) Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: FILE PHOTO
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi, on Saturday, confiscated the surety bonds submitted for the former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and initiated proceedings against the surety givers after the ‘proclaimed offender’ failed to appear before court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
Musharraf has already been declared an absconder by the ATC over non-appearance before the court. He was named a suspect in the murder by the plaintiff.
I'll return to Pakistan when health allows to face Benazir murder trial: Musharraf
The court resumed the hearings in the trial against the former president today, and expressed annoyance over the failure of the defendant to submit the details of his assets to the court.
Ordering to confiscate two surety bonds of Rs1 million each by the former military ruler, the court adjourned the hearing until February 20.
ATC verdict challenged: PPP wants Musharraf, others hanged over Benazir murder
At a previous hearing, the ATC had given Musharraf's surety givers Nazir Ahmed and Mumtaz Hussain a final warning with regards to submitting to the court details regarding the assets of the former president.
The court had also issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in this regard.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had challenged a decision of an anti-terrorism court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, demanding capital punishment for all those accused, including Musharraf last year.
On August 31, the ATC acquitted five alleged operatives of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for want of evidence over assassination of Benazir in a gun and suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
The court had declared the then city police officer (CPO), Saud Aziz, and the then superintendent of police (SP), Khurram Shahzad, as facilitators in the crime and slapped each of them with a 17-year jail term and a fine of Rs10m.
It also declared Musharraf a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his properties.
Musharraf has already been declared an absconder by the ATC over non-appearance before the court. He was named a suspect in the murder by the plaintiff.
I'll return to Pakistan when health allows to face Benazir murder trial: Musharraf
The court resumed the hearings in the trial against the former president today, and expressed annoyance over the failure of the defendant to submit the details of his assets to the court.
Ordering to confiscate two surety bonds of Rs1 million each by the former military ruler, the court adjourned the hearing until February 20.
ATC verdict challenged: PPP wants Musharraf, others hanged over Benazir murder
At a previous hearing, the ATC had given Musharraf's surety givers Nazir Ahmed and Mumtaz Hussain a final warning with regards to submitting to the court details regarding the assets of the former president.
The court had also issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in this regard.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had challenged a decision of an anti-terrorism court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, demanding capital punishment for all those accused, including Musharraf last year.
On August 31, the ATC acquitted five alleged operatives of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for want of evidence over assassination of Benazir in a gun and suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
The court had declared the then city police officer (CPO), Saud Aziz, and the then superintendent of police (SP), Khurram Shahzad, as facilitators in the crime and slapped each of them with a 17-year jail term and a fine of Rs10m.
It also declared Musharraf a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his properties.