BB murder case: Despite warrants, witnesses fail to appear in court

ATC judge asks interior ministry on progress of setting up video link for Mark Siegel’s statement

RAWALPINDI: The special anti-terrorism court hearing the murder case of former premier Benazir Bhutto has reissued arrest warrants for Bhutto’s driver on the day of her assassination and former Mohmand Agency political agent to record their statements. Judge Ayub Khan Marth had issued similar warrants for driver Javaidur Rehman and Bhalol Khan but the police failed to produce them on Monday.

The court also asked relevant authorities to publish notices in the newspapers in this regard.

Meanwhile, the court sent a notice to the interior ministry asking why preparations for recording the statement of journalist Mark Siegel, the former prime minister’s friend and confidant, have not been completed yet. The case was adjourned till July 15.

The case has been ongoing for over seven-and-a-half years and around 67 witnesses have recorded their statements. Former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf is one of the eight accused in the case.

PAT clashes

In another case, anti-terrorism court-I adjourned hearing in a case pertaining to armed clashes between police and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers near Lilla Interchange to July 30. In the next hearing, 110 activists of PAT will be reportedly indicted and the suspects have been summoned to court in this regard.

Atiqa Odho case

The special judicial magistrate of the Airport police has adjourned hearing into the liquor recovery case against TV actor Atiqa Odho. The magistrate has also summoned five witnesses to record their statements in the case at the next hearing. The suspect has been excused from appearing in the case.

Odho, a former member of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League, was detained by Customs officials and Airport Security Force at Islamabad airport on June 5, 2011 after two bottled of liquor were recovered from her luggage.

The Airport police booked her under Article 4 of Prohibition Hadd Order 1979 for carrying liquor after the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2015.