Benazir assassination case: ATC summons Mark Siegel on Jan 5
Five others also issued notices.
RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court on Saturday summoned six prosecution witnesses – including US author Mark Siegel – to record statements against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.
At a hearing at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Saturday, counsels for the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments after cross-examination of two witnesses, Magistrate Ahmed Masood Janjua and SHO Aijaz Shah.
According to Siegel, Musharraf had threatened Benazir with “dire consequences” if she returned home before the 2008 election.
Siegel, a key prosecution witness who had known Benazir since 1984, claims that Benazir had received a telephone call from Musharraf in his (Siegel) presence and told her that he would not be responsible for her security if she returned before the election. He alleges that Musharraf knew of the assassination plot and had personally ordered the destruction of evidence.
Benazir was assassinated outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on Dec 27, 2007.
Special Judge ATC-I Habibur Rehman also issued summons to former principal of Rawalpindi Medical College Dr Musadaq Khan, former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rawalpindi Yasin Farooq, former superintendent police (SP) Ashfaq Anwar and Rescue 1122 In-charge Dr Abdur Rehman.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned until January 5.
Siegel, who also wrote speeches for Benazir, said he received an email from the former premier on October 26, 2007 which contained the names of people who she held responsible if another attempt was made on her life, according to his testimony submitted to the FIA.
In later email exchanges between Benazir and Siegel, the former premier directed him to make public the information she had sent if she died in Pakistan. “Later, I forwarded the email to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to make it public at suitable time and had last conversation with Benazir on December 23, 2007 on my date of birth and found her upset,” according to Siegel’s statement.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2012.
An anti-terrorism court on Saturday summoned six prosecution witnesses – including US author Mark Siegel – to record statements against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.
At a hearing at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Saturday, counsels for the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments after cross-examination of two witnesses, Magistrate Ahmed Masood Janjua and SHO Aijaz Shah.
According to Siegel, Musharraf had threatened Benazir with “dire consequences” if she returned home before the 2008 election.
Siegel, a key prosecution witness who had known Benazir since 1984, claims that Benazir had received a telephone call from Musharraf in his (Siegel) presence and told her that he would not be responsible for her security if she returned before the election. He alleges that Musharraf knew of the assassination plot and had personally ordered the destruction of evidence.
Benazir was assassinated outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on Dec 27, 2007.
Special Judge ATC-I Habibur Rehman also issued summons to former principal of Rawalpindi Medical College Dr Musadaq Khan, former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rawalpindi Yasin Farooq, former superintendent police (SP) Ashfaq Anwar and Rescue 1122 In-charge Dr Abdur Rehman.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned until January 5.
Siegel, who also wrote speeches for Benazir, said he received an email from the former premier on October 26, 2007 which contained the names of people who she held responsible if another attempt was made on her life, according to his testimony submitted to the FIA.
In later email exchanges between Benazir and Siegel, the former premier directed him to make public the information she had sent if she died in Pakistan. “Later, I forwarded the email to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to make it public at suitable time and had last conversation with Benazir on December 23, 2007 on my date of birth and found her upset,” according to Siegel’s statement.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2012.