ATC reserves judgment in Benazir Bhutto murder case

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesay reserved verdict in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto after the counsels of the suspects concluded their arguments, ARY News reported.

The ATC has been hearing the case for last nine years since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during a public gathering at  Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

During the court proceedings, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) public prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar presented his arguments and said that then Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Babar Awan was in Bhutto’s backup vehicle, and another party leader Farhatullah Babar was controlling the vehicle.

He apprised the court that the vehicle waslater recovered from Zardari House in Islamabad when the investigation was handed over to the FIA. The public prosecutor said that former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf had excused himself from appearing before the court for receiving life threats from global terror outfit Al Qaeda.

He further informed the ATC judge that statements of only 68 witnesses were recorded out of 121.

Informed sources claimed that the verdict is expected to be announced on Thursday (tomorrow) or after on the first working day after Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

In February 2008, the trial of five suspects began after they were apprehended by the police following an FIR over the incident registered on behalf of the state. However, once PPP won the 2008 elections, the investigation was handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

It merits to mention here that erstwhile president Pervez Musharraf is also a suspect in the case, who has remained absconding since the beginning.