An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Monday ordered the former military ruler general (R) Pervez Musharraf to appear before it on April 21, in a case relating to the murder of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.
The Quetta ATC 1 Judge Tariq Ahmed directed the former military dictator to appear before the court otherwise his bail would be cancelled.
“The court will issue warrants for his arrest if he fails to appear before it,” counsel of Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, Sohail Rajput, told reporters while quoting the remarks of the judge during the hearing.
Meanwhile, former federal interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and former Balochistan home minister Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani appeared before the court in relation to the case.
The court ordered both former ministers to reappear before it on April 21.
“We respect the court now and we will respect it in future,” Sherpao told reporters after the hearing of the case.
The court has also issued arrest warrants of Pervez Musharraf’s guarantors, Rajput informed reporters.
“Investigation team is not fulfilling its responsibility with regards to probing the murder of Nawab Bugti,” Rajput complained.
Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, son of Nawab Akbar Bugti, had nominated Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and other high-ups in the murder of his father.
The Balochistan High Court had already issued arrest warrants of the accused persons.
Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in August 2006 in an explosion in a cave where he had taken refuge during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was the president and army chief at the time.
Bugti had led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources. The death of the tribal chief had sparked angry protests in the province.
