Musharraf’s interim bail rejected in Benazir murder case

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday rejected bail of former President Pervez Musharraf in the 2007 assassination case of former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, prosecutors said.

Musharraf had got an interim bail in the case and had approached the court for extension, however, the LHC rejected his application as his defence lawyers failed to appear before the two-member bench.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is investigating the case, had sought cancellation of Musharraf’s bail as it needs his custody to interrogate him about his role in Bhutto’s assassination in a suicide attack and gunshots in Rawalpindi.

FIA prosecutors told reporters on Wednesday that they will produce Musharraf in the anti-terrorism court, conducting the trial of suspects charged with involvement in the murder of Benazir Bhutto, to seek his physical remand.

They said that the investigators have “solid evidence about Mushararf’s aid and abetment in the incident” and that the court had valid grounds to accept their request for cancellation of the interim bail.

When the two-member bench of the Lahore High Court resumed hearing of Musharraf’s request for bail extension, his defence lawyer could not appear. The court had to wait for an hour but even then his lawyer could not appear.

A lady lawyer later appeared but she could not produce Power of Attorney to pursue the case when the court asked her to show the document.

Musharraf’s interim bail was rejected a day after the anti-terrorism court ordered that the former President be included in the investigation into the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

The FIA lawyers had argued that Musharraf has not yet been formally included in the case and that they want to question him as his government had failed to provide proper security to Benazir Bhutto.

Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman directed the FIA to complete the investigation and submit a report in the apex court.  The hearing was adjourned until May 3.

Musharraf has been accused of failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan from exile in October 2007.

The court had previously declared Musharraf an ‘absconder’ and issued an arrest warrant for him after he failed to cooperate with investigators when he had been living in self-exile. He returned last month and also got interim bail in the case.

The court had earlier directed authorities to attach his properties and to freeze his bank accounts.

Musharraf has dismissed all charges as politically-motivated and insisted that he had warned Benazir Bhutto of imminent threats to her life.

Musharraf has already been arrested in the case of keeping the judges in illegal confinement when he had imposed emergency rule in 2007.

The former President is also facing high treason charges for abrogation of the constitution when he had imposed emergence rule in 2007.

Five individuals have filed petitions for high treason proceedings in the Supreme Court, however, the interim government has refused to pursue the case because of its limited role. The interim government has prayed to the apex court to leave the case to the next elected government.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan 1999-2008, has also been disqualified for the May 11 parliamentary elections due to criminal cases against him in court and imposing emergency rule. He is now leading his own All Pakistan Muslim League party.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Apr 24 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.