Benazir Bhutto assassination case: Court rejects officers’ plea against indictment
Former CPO Rawalpindi Saud Aziz and former SP Khaurram Shahzad to be charged on October 22.
RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court on Saturday dismissed two police officers’ plea to exclude them from indictment on allegations of former premier Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, citing insufficient evidence.
Special Judge Shahid Rafique rejected the applications of former city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Saud Aziz and former SP Rawal Town Khurram Shahzad, in which they had stated that they should not be formally indicted for Bhutto’s murder since there was insufficient evidence to try them under criminal law.
The two police officers had asked the court to drop the proceedings against them. The judge accepted Special Public Prosecutor Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali’s contention that there was sufficient evidence to convict the police officers.
The trial court is likely to frame charges against seven offenders including the two police officers on October 22, the next date of hearing.
Ali said the former CPO had ordered the removal of the elite squad deputed to escort Bhutto out of Rawalpindi where she had addressed a public rally in 2007.
Meanwhile, the court deferred the hearing of Sehba Musharraf’s plea challenging the court order declaring her husband a proclaimed offender and the subsequent confiscation of his property.
The court adjourned hearing after her counsel sought time.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.
An anti-terrorism court on Saturday dismissed two police officers’ plea to exclude them from indictment on allegations of former premier Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, citing insufficient evidence.
Special Judge Shahid Rafique rejected the applications of former city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Saud Aziz and former SP Rawal Town Khurram Shahzad, in which they had stated that they should not be formally indicted for Bhutto’s murder since there was insufficient evidence to try them under criminal law.
The two police officers had asked the court to drop the proceedings against them. The judge accepted Special Public Prosecutor Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali’s contention that there was sufficient evidence to convict the police officers.
The trial court is likely to frame charges against seven offenders including the two police officers on October 22, the next date of hearing.
Ali said the former CPO had ordered the removal of the elite squad deputed to escort Bhutto out of Rawalpindi where she had addressed a public rally in 2007.
Meanwhile, the court deferred the hearing of Sehba Musharraf’s plea challenging the court order declaring her husband a proclaimed offender and the subsequent confiscation of his property.
The court adjourned hearing after her counsel sought time.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.