Bugti murder case: ATC orders Musharraf to appear in person on October 13

ATC judge directed the lawyer to ensure the presence of Musharraf on next hearing.

QUETTA:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta on Monday directed former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf to appear before the court on October 13, 2014 in the Nawab Bugti murder case.

Presiding Officer of the ATC Quetta Nazeer Ahmed Langov held a hearing of the case, during which two guarantors and lawyers of Musharraf appeared before the court and submitted a medical certificate and application seeking one month exemption from personal appearance before the ATC court.

Musharraf had been served several notices to appear before the court in order to hear charges. However, he never turned up, citing health issues.

The judge, though, directed the lawyer to ensure the presence of Musharraf on the next hearing.


“Former Balochistan Chief Minister and Governor Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed along with 35 comrades on August 26, 2006 in Dera Bugti in a military operation. An FIR was registered at Dera Bugti Police station on October 10th, 2009 in which Pervez Musharraf was nominated prime accused along with others. We approached High Court in 2011. Since then there has been no progress in the murder case,” petitioner’s counsel Sohail Rajput told the court.

He informed the court that accused is using various tactics to delay the case since the first day of hearing, adding that the “court should issue arrest warrants. It has been issued earlier but the accused was granted bail from Supreme Court.”

The court directed the Crime Branch to ensure the security of former President so that he could appear before the court.

“It is a high profile case and the pace of investigation is regrettable,” said Rajput. “The court should issue arrest warrants otherwise the former president will continue to use delaying tactics with fake medical issues,” he told Express Tribune.

The hearing was adjourned until October 13, 2014.
Load Next Story