Amidst high security, former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf was presented before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi for hearing in the murder case of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto. The court ruled that the former ruler be investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the case.
The former army ruler was brought to the Rawalpindi District Court from his Chak Shahzad farmhouse of Islamabad which was declared sub-jail while he has been confined on 14-day judicial remand.
Musharraf, who is the chief of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), was escorted by security personnel as the court premises were completely cordoned off. He was presented before the judge Habib Urrehman.
The ATC had indicted Musharraf in the case in February 2011, declaring him a proclaimed offender.
Witnesses in the Benazir murder case were presented in the court for the hearing.
The court ordered that former military ruler should be included in the investigation process of the assassination case. It directed the FIA to complete the investigation and submit a challan in the apex court.
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007 soon after addressing an election campaign rally in the city.
The court later adjourned the case till May 3.
Meanwhile, scuffle between dozens of lawyers and supporters of Pervez Musharraf took place outside the court where both the sides chanted slogans against each other.
Also, a two-member bench comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain is hearing five identical petitions against Musharraf seeking his trial under Article 6 of the Constitution for imposing emergency and subverting the Constitution in 2007.
On Monday, the caretaker government refused to put Musharraf on trial for treason, telling the court that it was beyond its mandate.
Musharraf returned last month after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to take part in May 11 general elections despite the possibility of arrest on various charges and death threats from the Pakistani Taliban.