Benazir murder case: Naheed to become prosecution witness

Benazir’s political secretary asks ATC for case details.

RAWALPINDI: A close aide to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Monday offered to become a witness for the prosecution and record her statement in connection with the murder case of the late PPP leader.

Anti-terrorism court (ATC) Judge Rai Ayub Marth first rejected the application filed by Naheed Khan on some technical grounds, but accepted the plea when it was re-filed.

Naheed has also asked the court to provide her with details of the case.

Accepting the application, the judge directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Mohammad Azhar to appear in the court with the complete case record on  next hearing – to argue whether the application is maintainable.



An investigation team of the FIA reportedly recorded Naheed’s statement in 2009 but she was not included in the list of prosecution witnesses.

Naheed was not included in the list of witnesses by the prosecution even though she was inside Benazir’s vehicle on the day of her assassination on December 27, 2007, along with her husband Safdar Abbasi and party leader Amin Fahim, among others. Both Abbasi and Fahim have also not been included as witnesses by the state.

At the last hearing on September 2, Benazir’s driver Javaidur Rehman, told the court that it was Naheed who asked the PPP leader to open the sunroof hatch of the bulletproof vehicle and wave to the crowds outside the gate of Liaquat Bagh that fateful evening.

After the driver’s statement was reported in the media, Naheed expressed annoyance over the claim and denied that Benazir had acted on her suggestion.

Talking to journalists after submitting the application, Naheed said that she is becoming part of the case so that justice may be served. She also said she would answer more questions in court.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2015.