Benazir Bhutto assassination case: Rehman Malik submits reply

Malik submitted his statement to the Supreme Court and a new trial has been entered in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday submitted his reply to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, and a new trial has been entered, Express News has reported.

Earlier the court had noted that a second FIR needed to be registered as the first did not include names of some of the key suspects such as Rehman Malik. It observed that as long as the senior ministers - the high profile suspects - hold offices, an independent investigation is not possible.

This led to the apex court, under a three member bench - headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising of Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain - asking the suspects, including interior minister Rehman Malik, to step down from their public offices so that independent investigation could be carried out.

Justice Pervez had pointed out that Malik had stated in his written reply submitted to the court that the accused were already in custody and their charge-sheets had been produced before the courts. The bench observed that the reply had also suggested that the case not be heard anymore.

Questioning the intentions of the PPP-led government, the court had earlier noted that Malik and another federal minister, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi were ‘opposing’ the registration of the second FIR.