BB murder case: Musharraf’s lawyer fails to show up in court
Former president had challenged Mark Siegel’s video-link testimony.
Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
The counsel of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf failed to appear in court on Wednesday after which hearing of the Benazir Bhutto murder case was adjourned till November 18.
Musharraf, the prime accused, has challenged through his lawyer Farogh Nasim the testimony via video link of witness Mark Siegel recorded earlier and awaiting cross-examination.
However, the plea could not be deliberated upon due to the absence of the defence counsel.
Siegel, a US-based author and close friend of the slain chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, is a key prosecution witness in the case and recorded his statement last month, which accused Musharraf of making a threatening call to Bhutto while she was in the US.
At the last hearing, Nasim had requested the special anti-terrorism court headed by Judge Rai Ayub Khan Marth to summon Siegel to record his statement in person, and termed his earlier statement a pack of lies.
Nasim had also argued that the statement has been recorded via video link
after a lapse of seven years, which is contrary to legal guidelines.
His statement should be recorded in Pakistan, he pleaded, adding that if the witness was facing life threats, he should be provided security by the state. The statement submitted by the defence counsel also stated that Siegel’s testimony be declared null and void as it was recorded via inadmissible means.
On Wednesday, the court also summoned prosecution witnesses SSP Tahir Ayub and Inspector Tahir Ilyas at the next hearing.
Talking to Daily Express after the hearing, state prosecutor Khawaja Mohammad Imtiaz said Musharraf’s challenge of Siegel’s testimony is a delaying tactic, adding that a similar request earlier has already been turned down by the court.
He shared that when Siegel was recording his statement via video link Musharraf’s counsel did not raise any objections.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2015.
The counsel of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf failed to appear in court on Wednesday after which hearing of the Benazir Bhutto murder case was adjourned till November 18.
Musharraf, the prime accused, has challenged through his lawyer Farogh Nasim the testimony via video link of witness Mark Siegel recorded earlier and awaiting cross-examination.
However, the plea could not be deliberated upon due to the absence of the defence counsel.
Siegel, a US-based author and close friend of the slain chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, is a key prosecution witness in the case and recorded his statement last month, which accused Musharraf of making a threatening call to Bhutto while she was in the US.
At the last hearing, Nasim had requested the special anti-terrorism court headed by Judge Rai Ayub Khan Marth to summon Siegel to record his statement in person, and termed his earlier statement a pack of lies.
Nasim had also argued that the statement has been recorded via video link
after a lapse of seven years, which is contrary to legal guidelines.
His statement should be recorded in Pakistan, he pleaded, adding that if the witness was facing life threats, he should be provided security by the state. The statement submitted by the defence counsel also stated that Siegel’s testimony be declared null and void as it was recorded via inadmissible means.
On Wednesday, the court also summoned prosecution witnesses SSP Tahir Ayub and Inspector Tahir Ilyas at the next hearing.
Talking to Daily Express after the hearing, state prosecutor Khawaja Mohammad Imtiaz said Musharraf’s challenge of Siegel’s testimony is a delaying tactic, adding that a similar request earlier has already been turned down by the court.
He shared that when Siegel was recording his statement via video link Musharraf’s counsel did not raise any objections.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2015.