Benazir murder case: ATC confiscates Musharraf’s surety bonds

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday seized former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s surety bonds and started proceedings against the surety givers as the accused failed to show up in court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The ATC has declared Musharraf— who was named a suspect by Benazir herself in case of her murder— has already been declared as an absconder over his failure to show up in the court.

Hearing against the former president was resumed in the court on Saturday where it was ordered to confiscate two surety bonds of Rs1 million each as the former military leader did not show up in court.

The hearing was adjourned until February 20.

At the last hearing, the ATC had ordered for the confiscation of the surety bonds of Musharraf after he failed to appear before the court in the judges detention case.

During the hearing, ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand asked Musharraf’s counsel Akhtar Shah and guarantor Capt (r) Nazeer, who appeared before the court, about the accused’s appearance before the court. On this Akhtar Shah replied that Musharraf’s return back to Pakistan depends on his doctors’ approval.

On this ATC directed the guarantor of the former president to submit a written reply and adjourned the hearing till October 27.

Earlier in July 2016, the former president’s counsel moved an application challenging the trial by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) and requesting it to transfer the case to a sessions court.