Benazir murder case: Pindi ATC orders retrial

Rejects pleas of FIA, PPP against order.


Our Correspondent October 02, 2013
Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday ordered retrial of the Benazir Bhutto’s murder case so as to re-record the statements of the witnesses in the presence of main accused, the former president Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

RAWALPINDI:


Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday ordered retrial of the Benazir Bhutto’s murder case so as to re-record the statements of the witnesses in the presence of main accused, the former president Pervez Musharraf.


The court turned down pleas of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) not to restart the trial of Benazir Bhutto’s murder case following the indictment of main accused.

“The court considers it Musharraf’s legal right that statements of the witnesses should be recorded in his presence,” ATC-1 Special Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman ruled.

Judge Rehman ordered FIA to bring the witnesses for recording their statements on October 8.

Judge Rehman had reserved the judgment on September 17 on an application filed by PPP senior lawyer Sardar Adul Latif Khosa who had urged the court not to restart the trial.

On the last hearing, FIA Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar and PPP’s senior lawyer Latif Khosa had pleaded to advance the case proceedings without any further delay as its retrial would be tantamount to wastage of time.

“Statement of a witness may be rerecorded if the defence has any objection over it but restarting the whole trial will waste court’s time and the case will be prolonged for another five years.”

FIA prosecutor Azhar also supported Khosa’s point of view. He said the witnesses were convinced with much difficulty to appear in the court and rerecording their statements will disappoint them.

He opined that witnesses could be summoned for cross-questioning but restarting the trial would be a waste court time for the benefit of the accused.

Musharraf’s lawyer Ilyas Siddiqui had, on last hearing, urged the court to have the testimonies of the witnesses re-recorded. “Musharraf was abroad when the statements were recorded. It is his legal right that statements of witnesses be recorded in hi presence,” he argued.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

Aschraful Makhlooq | 10 years ago | Reply

But one thing is confirmed,id est,Musharraf shall never be proven guilty in Benazir's murder....

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