Benazir assassination case: Court defers indictment of accused till Oct 29

ATC unable to frame charges against the seven accused after lawyer sought adjournment.

RAWALPINDI:

A trial court hearing the Benazir Bhutto assassination case was unable to frame charges against seven accused people on Saturday after one of the defence lawyers sought adjournment.

Special Judge Anti-Terrorism Court-I Shahid Rafique deferred the indictment of accused Aitzaz Sherazi, Sher Zaman, Rasheed Ahmed, Hasnain Gul and Rafaqat Hussain, former City Police Officer (CPO) Saud Aziz and SP Khuraam Shahzad till October 29, after a lawyer representing the two police officers sought adjournment.

Special Public Prosecutor Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali argued before the court that the trial was being further delayed and pointed out that it has already been four years since the assassination of the former prime minister. The trial should be held on daily basis, he said.

Separately, the court put off the hearing of an application, filed by the former first lady Sehba Musharraf, till November 5 after Advocate Fawad Chaudhry said he would not be available.

During the hearing on Saturday, Advocate Fawad filed a contempt of court petition against some TV channels accusing them of airing ‘baseless news’. The judge directed the representatives of the TV channels to file their response on November 5.  Meanwhile, the court could not take up the case of the Mumbai attacks as the defence lawyers have moved the Lahore High Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2011.