Security concerns: BB case hearing put off till May 17, again

FIA prosecutor fails to appear before court, seeks foolproof security.

RAWALPINDI:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge adjourned the hearing in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case till May 17 as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor did not appear before the court, citing security concerns.

Prosecutor Chaudhry Muhammad Azhar had sent a request to the court that he has been receiving threats to not pursue the case, but he has not been provided any security. Until he is provided security, he will not participate in the proceedings, Azhar wrote in his request.

The high profile case is being heard in Adiala Jail.

ATC special judge Pervez Ismail directed five witnesses including two doctors and magistrates to be produced at the next hearing.

Defendants Deputy Inspector General of Police Saud Aziz and Superintendent of Police Khurram Shahzad were present in the court and Pervez Musharraf was represented by his counsel Safdar Javed.

Ashura incident

Meanwhile, other ATCs also recorded the statements of seven witnesses in connection with cases of violence in Rawalpindi during Ashura last year. The court also fixed May 19 as the date of hearing to indict Mohsin and other suspects in attacks on two Imambargahs in Rawalpindi.

Dr Tariq and Maulvi Muhammad Siddique, who were accused in the fourth schedule by the Mangla and Wah Cantonment police respectively, were acquitted. The hearing against Ismail Minhas, accused of murdering two army officers, will resume on May 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2014.