ATC confiscates Musharraf’s surety bonds in Benazir murder case

Author: Agencies

Rawalpindi: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday confiscated the surety bonds submitted for the former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and initiated proceedings against the surety givers after the ‘proclaimed offender’ failed to appear before court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. Musharraf has already been declared an absconder by the ATC over non-appearance before the court. He was named a suspect in the murder by the plaintiff.

The court resumed the hearings in the trial against the former president today, and expressed annoyance over the failure of the defendant to submit the details of his assets to the court.

Ordering to confiscate two surety bonds of Rs1 million each by the former military ruler, the court adjourned the hearing until February 20.

At a previous hearing, the ATC had given Musharraf’s surety givers Nazir Ahmed and Mumtaz Hussain a final warning with regards to submitting to the court details regarding the assets of the former president.

The court had also issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in this regard.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had challenged a decision of an anti-terrorism court in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, demanding capital punishment for all those accused, including Musharraf last year.

On August 31, the ATC acquitted five alleged operatives of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for want of evidence over assassination of Benazir in a gun and suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.

The court had declared the then city police officer (CPO), Saud Aziz, and the then superintendent of police (SP), Khurram Shahzad, as facilitators in the crime and slapped each of them with a 17-year jail term and a fine of Rs10m.

It also declared Musharraf a proclaimed offender and ordered confiscation of his properties.

Published in Daily Times, January 21st 2018.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Pakistan

Top Chinese military official lauds Pakistan’s counter-terror efforts

General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), has commended the Pakistan…

3 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Punjab CM thanks people for rejecting ‘disruptors’

Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed her gratitude to the people of…

3 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Belarus president winds up 3-day Pakistan visit

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko on Wednesday departed after completing a three-day official visit to…

3 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Kurram tribal clashes rage as death toll surges past 100

The recent clashes between the two warring sides in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kurram district continued…

3 hours ago
  • Pakistan

US lawmakers, Amnesty decry ‘crackdown’ on PTI protesters

A number of United States' lawmakers along with Amnesty International have voiced support for demonstrators…

3 hours ago
  • World

Hamas signals willingness for ceasefire in Gaza after Lebanon

Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a senior official in…

3 hours ago