ATC adjourns BB murder case till Feb 11

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ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of the Rawalpindi on Monday adjourned hearing of the Benazir Bhutto murder case till Feb 11, TrendPK reports.

The court issued notices to six eyewitnesses today to appear before the jury, again, as the ATC judge Shahid Rafiq heard the case in Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison. Witnesses in the BB case, however, were not produced in today’s proceeding.

The judge, later, issued summons to Assistant Director FIA Qamar Zaman, DSP Ishtiaq Shah, ASI Muhammad Nawaz, Sub Inspector Javed Iqbal Lodhi, Zamir Ahmed and police constable Mohsin Khan to appear on Feb 11.

Fasih Bukhari appointed chairman NAB

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ISLAMABAD: Admiral (Retd.) Fasih Bukhari has been appointed as Chariman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), TrendPK reported Sunday.

The appointment was made after President Asif Ali Zardari brushed aside opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar’s objection to the nomination on technical grounds.

The notification of his appointment has been issued.

The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has raised its voice against Bukhari’ s appointment as NAB chairman but the government has rejected PML-N’s reservations by appointing him. TrendPK

Mumtaz Qadri appeals against death sentence

The Pakistani anti-terror court on Saturday found Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, one of Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s bodyguards, guilty of murder and sentenced him to death.

Qadri confessed to shooting Taseer dead outside an upmarket coffee shop close to his residence in the leafy capital Islamabad on January 4. He said he objected to the politician s calls to amend the blasphemy law, which mandates the death penalty for those convicted of blasphemy.

 ”Today we have filed an appeal in Islamabad high court against the verdict and have challenged Qadri s death sentence,” Shuja-ur-Rehman, one of Qadri’s lawyers, said.

“The anti-terrorism court was not the competent authority to sentence him, this decision is illegal and baseless.”

 Rehman said a preliminary hearing for his appeal had been fixed for Tuesday.

The killing of Taseer was the most high-profile political assassination in Pakistan since former prime minister Benazir Bhutto died in a gun and suicide attack in December 2007.

US ignored Bhutto’s request for security: WikiLeaks

ISLAMABAD: Just two months before she was killed in a terror attack, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had approached then US Ambassador in Islamabad asking for help to evaluate her personal security but it was ignored, latest WikiLeaks cables have revealed.

Bhutto handed over a written request to US Ambassador Anne W Patterson two months before she was killed asking her to carry out an evaluation of the security because she feared for her life, say the WikiLeaks cables.

The cables reveal that the US chose to look the other way, suggesting that Benazir should work constructively with General Pervez Musharraf’s government,

FIA chief served contempt notice in BB murder case

RAWALPINDI: Hearing the Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case, a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday issued a contempt of court notice to Director General of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Malik Iqbal for changing Investigation Officer and summoned him on May 30.

ATC judge Rana Nisar Ahmed Khan heard the Bhutto assassination case at Adiyala prison.

Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar told the court that Investigation Officer Khalid Rasool has now been placed with Shuja Naveed.

On this, the judge expressed his anger, saying that Khalid Rasool was to submit his report about the implementation of Pervez Musharraf’s arrest warrant.

“Why was he changed,” the judge asked, saying that it was done in defiance of the court’s orders.”

The court then issued a contempt of court notice to FIA chief and adjourned the case till May 30. TrendPK

ATC directs FIA to implement on Musharaff’s arrest warrant

RAWALPINDI: A special Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) here directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to implement on its orders to arrest former president Pervaiz Musharraf, TrendPK reported Saturday.

According to details, especial ATC’s judge Rana Nisar Ahmed Khan heard the murder case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto here at Adiala prison.

The head of a joint investigation team, Wajid Zia presented to court a British government’s letter concerning with the implementation on the arrest warrant of former President Musharraf.

The letter stated that the British government was making efforts to implement on the ATC’s-issued arrest warrant of Musharraf.

Also, the British government sought more time to implement on ATC’s orders, the letter further stated.

Upon this, the council of Saud Aziz requested the honourable court to issue red warrant of Musharraf’s arrest but the court declined.

ATC directed FIA to implement on the arrest warrants of Musharraf.

Later,

Benazir murder case: FIA seeks more time to arrest Musharraf

RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday requested the Anti Terrorism Court for more time to arrest former president Pervez Musharraf, currently residing in London, in the assassination case of Benazir Bhutto.

During the course of hearing at Adiala Jail, Deputy Director FIA Khalid Rasool informed the court that the FIA had requested the Interior Ministry to approach the Foreign Ministry for the former president’s extradition.

He said that the FIA requires at least a month to extradite Musharraf. The court directed the agency to ensure his arrest on the next date of hearing.

However Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar and Chaudhry Azhar submitted an application before the court, stating that the superintendent and deputy Adiala Jail did not allow them to enter the jail for the hearing of the case.

They said that the jail authorities acted on the behest of former city police officer Saud Aziz and SP Khurram Shahzad who were accused in this case. Special Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed accepted their application and issued notices to the respondents for next date of hearing

Meanwhile, former city police officer Saud Aziz and superintendent police Khurram Shahzad were not formally indicted because the public prosecutors could not enter Adiala jail.

Earlier on February 18, the court reissued non-bailable arrest warrants for Musharraf to be sent to his London address.

The former president is allegedly involved in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto due to his failure to provide her with adequate security.

Musharraf, despite being aware of the imminent danger to Bhutto’s life, did not take the requisite security measures to prevent her assassination, according to a 57-page report submitted earlier in the court.

The FIA has submitted three charge-sheets in this case, with the first one submitted in May 2010 that held the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan responsible for Bhutto’s assassination. The second charge-sheet submitted in September 2010 held former police officials Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad responsible while the third charge sheet submitted in February held Musharraf responsible for Bhutto’s murder.

PML-N’s horse trading hurting democracy: Awan

LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan says that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is harming democracy through horse trading.

Speaking to newsmen outside the Parliament House today, Dr. Awan said that PML-N and PPP had never been allies as their support was confined to charter of democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

“I fail to understand why Mian Nawaz Sharif is calling his Punjab government as corrupt,” he remarked. TrendPK

ATC issues non-bailable warrant against Musharraf

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former President Pervez Musharraf in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case.

ATC Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed Khan conducted the hearing into the case at Adiyala Jail.

Prior to the hearing, police produced accused, Aitzaz Shah, Abdul Rashid, Husnain Gul, Rafaqat, Sherzaman, Saud Aziz and Khurram Shehzad in the court.

The FIA pleaded for non-bailable arrest warrant against Pervez Musharraf, arguing the former president has been named as accused in the interim chalan presented to the court. FIA said that attempt was made to involve Musharraf into the probe, but he is not available.

Accepting the plea, the court issued non-bailable warrant against Musharraf.

According to an FIA spokesman, the head of a team probing Benazir Bhutto assassination case and Mumbai attacks, Khalid Qureshi has been replaced with Wajid Zia. TrendPK

Govt. to follow court’s order in BB murder case: Awan

LAHORE: Federal Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the government will adhere to whatever order the court will issue regarding arrest of former President Pervez Musarraf in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case.

Speaking to newsmen here on Saturday, Awan said the government will fully cooperate with the court on the issue of Musharraf’s arrest. TrendPK

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