Bugti murder case: PHC grants Sherpao 24-day transit bail

Former interior minister requested bail in order to travel to Sibi for trial.

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has given a 24-day transit bail to the former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Monday.

Sherpao, a Member of National Assembly (MNA) and chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao (PPP-S), requested a transit bail after a Sibi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Nawaz Khan Barakzai had issued an arrest warrant againt him. Warrants were issued for all those accused in Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s murder during the case hearing on July 18. Last week, the former interior minister had filed the application at PHC seeking a transit bail to travel to Sibi.

Sherpao, along with a number of party activists, was present before a single bench comprising of Justice Shahjahan Akhunzada, who accepted the transit bail request till August 30. A sum of Rs100,000 with two reliable sureties were asked for by the court, enabling Sherpao to travel to Sibi and appear before the court for the case hearing on August 15.

The arrest warrants for suspects include former president Pervez Musharraf, former premier Shaukat Aziz, former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, former Balochistan governor Awais Ahmed Ghani, former chief secretary Shoaib Nausherwani and former Dera Bugti DCO Abdul Samad Lasi.

Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, after receiving a transit bail, told the media that the Bugti murder issue was being heard at the court and was under judicial deliberation however maintained that the time Bugti was killed; a military operation was underway in Balchistan.  He also said an investigation into the case was underway, adding that he was cooperating with the investigators.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2012.