Another witness points to Baitullah’s hand in Benazir murder case
Accused confesses to involvement, says he paid two bombers to carry out the attack.
RAWALPINDI:
One of the five men arrested in connection with former premier Benazir Bhutto’s murder has confessed to having planned the attack with the suicide bomber, according to a judicial magistrate appearing as a prosecution witness before the court.
In his statement before the anti-terrorism court, Magistrate Ahmed Masood Janjua confirmed that the accused Rasheed Ahmed alias Abdul Raheem Tarabi had confessed in 2008 that he had arranged for two suicide bombers on the direction of Baitullah Mehsud to kill the former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader.
The magistrate said the accused had confessed in his statement that he recruited Bilal, alias Saeed, and Ikram as two suicide bombers for Rs400, 000.
The two men were taken to the house of Hasnain Gul, another accused, by Rasheed, where the bombers spent the night, after which they were dropped at the rally before the start of the prime minister’s address, according to Rasheed’s confessional statement.
Rasheed said that both bombers were to carry out the blasts, but only Bilal was successful.
The counsel for the accused sought time to cross-examine the magistrate and the hearing was deferred till March 10.
Musharraf’s bank account
Separately, the management of the Habib Metropolitan Bank prayed the trial court to detach the seized account of former president Pervez Musharraf, saying it was being treated as a trust account.
A lawyer representing the bank urged the court to allow the bank to operate the account.
Opposing the request, Federal Investigation Agency Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali informed the court that it is only the proclaimed offender himself who can approach the court after getting bail or submitting himself before the law of land, he said.
The lawyer said the account contained Rs35 million and the money had never been used for trust purposes.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2012.
One of the five men arrested in connection with former premier Benazir Bhutto’s murder has confessed to having planned the attack with the suicide bomber, according to a judicial magistrate appearing as a prosecution witness before the court.
In his statement before the anti-terrorism court, Magistrate Ahmed Masood Janjua confirmed that the accused Rasheed Ahmed alias Abdul Raheem Tarabi had confessed in 2008 that he had arranged for two suicide bombers on the direction of Baitullah Mehsud to kill the former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader.
The magistrate said the accused had confessed in his statement that he recruited Bilal, alias Saeed, and Ikram as two suicide bombers for Rs400, 000.
The two men were taken to the house of Hasnain Gul, another accused, by Rasheed, where the bombers spent the night, after which they were dropped at the rally before the start of the prime minister’s address, according to Rasheed’s confessional statement.
Rasheed said that both bombers were to carry out the blasts, but only Bilal was successful.
The counsel for the accused sought time to cross-examine the magistrate and the hearing was deferred till March 10.
Musharraf’s bank account
Separately, the management of the Habib Metropolitan Bank prayed the trial court to detach the seized account of former president Pervez Musharraf, saying it was being treated as a trust account.
A lawyer representing the bank urged the court to allow the bank to operate the account.
Opposing the request, Federal Investigation Agency Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali informed the court that it is only the proclaimed offender himself who can approach the court after getting bail or submitting himself before the law of land, he said.
The lawyer said the account contained Rs35 million and the money had never been used for trust purposes.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2012.