Benazir Bhutto murder case: Court issues last warning to Musharraf’s spouse

Judge may move ex parte if Sehba Musharraf fails to turn up again.

RAWALPINDI:


The judge of an anti-terrorism court hearing the Benazir Bhutto murder case expressed his annoyance over the absence of lawyers representing former first lady Sehba Musharraf, warning of an ex parte decision.


Special Judge ATC-I Shahid Rafique observed on Saturday that he might proceed ex parte to decide the application of Sehba Musharraf on the next date of hearing if her lawyers fail to turn up again.

The applicant had challenged a decision of the court that declared her husband former president Pervez Musharraf a proclaimed offender, after he avoided court proceedings in the case in which he was cited an accused.


Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali had already raised objection over the maintenance of the application, saying Sehba Musharraf had not signed the application herself.

He further argued that under the criminal procedure law, no proclaimed offender could be represented in absence unless he/she was either arrested or had obtained bail from the court of law.

Separately, the court formally initiated a formal trial in the case and recorded the statements of two police officers who were deputed at Rawalpindi’s City police station on December 27, 2007, when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and 24 of her supporters were killed in a gun and bomb attack.

The court summoned as many as eight more prosecution witnesses to record their statements on December 10, the next date of hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2011.

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