Benazir murder case: Judge directs ISI operative to record statement
Three witnesses appeared but no statements recorded after one fell ill.
A file photo of late Benazir Bhutto. PHOTO: AFP
RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday issued another notice to an operative of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
When ATC-I Judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth took up the case, three witnesses appeared before the court, but they could not record their statements after one of them fell ill in the courtroom.
The court sent another reminder to the ISI director-general to allow its operative Ismail to record his statement.
Three witnesses, Abdul Haq Meerani, Deputy Superintendent of Police Niaz and City Police Station, Rawalpindi Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Jamil were waiting to have their statements taken when Meerani’s fell ill and had to be rushed to a hospital.
The three witnesses were asked to appear again in the next hearing to have their statements recorded.
The court, meanwhile, ordered ASI Jamil to submit case property in court. The police official told the court that the police station has since been shifted to a new building and he would search for the case property.
The court also directed the joint investigation team chairman to ascertain how American journalist Mark Siegel could be contacted to get his statement recorded.
The case was then adjourned till May 6.
During the last hearing, the FIA prosecutor had informed the court that summonses issued to five witnesses including Siegel and ISI operative Ismail could not be served, while urging the court to issue fresh summonses.
Former CPO Saud Aziz, former SP Rawal Division Khurram Shehzad and five accused Aitzaz Shah, Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gull, Abdul Rashid and Sher Zaman were present in courtroom during the proceeding of the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2015.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Monday issued another notice to an operative of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
When ATC-I Judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth took up the case, three witnesses appeared before the court, but they could not record their statements after one of them fell ill in the courtroom.
The court sent another reminder to the ISI director-general to allow its operative Ismail to record his statement.
Three witnesses, Abdul Haq Meerani, Deputy Superintendent of Police Niaz and City Police Station, Rawalpindi Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Jamil were waiting to have their statements taken when Meerani’s fell ill and had to be rushed to a hospital.
The three witnesses were asked to appear again in the next hearing to have their statements recorded.
The court, meanwhile, ordered ASI Jamil to submit case property in court. The police official told the court that the police station has since been shifted to a new building and he would search for the case property.
The court also directed the joint investigation team chairman to ascertain how American journalist Mark Siegel could be contacted to get his statement recorded.
The case was then adjourned till May 6.
During the last hearing, the FIA prosecutor had informed the court that summonses issued to five witnesses including Siegel and ISI operative Ismail could not be served, while urging the court to issue fresh summonses.
Former CPO Saud Aziz, former SP Rawal Division Khurram Shehzad and five accused Aitzaz Shah, Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gull, Abdul Rashid and Sher Zaman were present in courtroom during the proceeding of the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2015.