Daily Times

The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench has rejected the report submitted by the City Police Officer (CPO) regarding the disappearance of an acquitted suspect in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the CPO’s lack of knowledge about the missing suspect and ordered a detailed report on the disappearance of Rafaqat, who was acquitted in the case.

During the hearing, the bench, led by Justices Mirza Waqas Rauf and Chaudhry Abdul Aziz, expressed frustration at the incomplete report and postponed the proceedings indefinitely.

The court emphasised that all parties involved must ensure their presence before any further action is taken.

Notably, no representative for the accused former president, General Pervez Musharraf, appeared in court.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had previously sentenced five police officers in connection with the case on August 30, 2017.

Among them, officers Saud Aziz and SP Khurram were sentenced to 17 years in prison and fined Rs10 million each.

The court is expected to take further action once a comprehensive report on the missing suspect is submitted.

Two weeks ago, a special division bench of the Lahore High Court took different appeals filed against the Special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) verdict in Benazir Bhutto murder case after a gap of 7 years and 10 days.

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007, while leaving the Liaquat Bagh after holding an election rally there. On August 31, 2017 – after 10 years, 8 months, and 3 days – the then ATC judge pronounced the verdict.

After the verdict, the two convicted police officers filed two separate appeals for their acquittal, while Zardari filed three appeals for the announcement of sentence to Musharraf in absentia and bringing him to Pakistan, and against the acquittal of the five accused.

Simultaneously, the FIA filed five appeals for pronouncing the sentence against Musharraf, and convicting and sentencing the five acquitted accused, besides increasing the sentences of the two convicted police officers.

Three of the five acquitted persons Aitzaz Shah, Sher Zaman and Hasnain have since been released on bail, while Rafaqat had disappeared after his release. Abdul Rasheed, however, is still imprisoned in the Adiala Jail for the last 17 and a half years.