SC rejects petition for suspension of police officers' bail in Benazir murder case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking suspension of bails granted to police officers Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. 

The petition was filed by the mother of slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto’s chief security officer Tauqeer Kaira who was also killed in the terror attack that targeted her in 2007.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to the two officers after an anti-terrorism court convicted and sentenced them to 17 years imprisonment in the case .

Sardar Latif Khosa, who represented the petitioner, Rasheeda Bibi, contended that the police officers were involved in the murder case.

To a question about evidence to corroborate his allegation, the counsel said they destroyed the evidence. If a person has been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, he cannot be released on bail, he further argued.

He maintained that the police officers were involved in the murder conspiracy and that they were granted bail in haste.

Saud Aziz’s lawyer Khalid Ranjha in his arguments said the Punjab government formed a joint investigation team and five charge-sheets were presented.

He said his client was not nominated in the case at the start of the investigation, but was named on Nov 13, 2010.

Khurram Shahzad’s lawyer said his client was accused of washing the crime scene. When Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked who did wash the crime scene?

He said the answer to this question is not available on record.

Justice Khosa said this question must be asked as this is where the issue stems from.