Benazir assassination case: ‘Suspects were Haqqania seminary students’

RAWALPINDI:

An Anti-Terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday recorded the statement of another witness in former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder case.

ATC-I Special Judge Pervez Ismail Joya recorded the statement of Maulana Wisal Ahmad of Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak. Ahmad said that suspected suicide bombers, identified by the authorities as Abdullah alias Saddam, Nadir alias Qari Ismail, Rasheed Ahmad alias Turabi and Faiz Muhammad were students of the seminary.

He said the suspects arrested in the attack on a bus carrying Pakistan Air Force employees were also students of the seminary. Ahmad explained whatever the suspects did was their personal action and the seminary was not involved.

Turabi argued they had never been students of the seminary, refuting Ahmad’s claim. However, Ahmad produced records containing their registration and roll numbers. The record was made part of the case and cross examination of the witness was also completed. The judge then issued notices to five other witnesses and adjourned the case till March 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2015.