Musharraf in FIA’s physical custody for Benazir Bhutto assassination
27 April 2013 6:36 AM IST
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday remanded Pervez Musharraf to the physical custody of the Federal Investigation Agency till 30 April in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
During a brief hearing at the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman accepted the FIA’srequest to be given physical custody of the 69-year-old former military ruler.
The FIA’s lawyers told the judge that they wanted physical custody of Musharraf so that he could be questioned in connection with the probe into Bhutto’s assassination.
The judge directed the FIA to produce Musharraf in courtagain on 30 April.
Official sources said that Musharraf would continueto be held at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad,declared a ‘sub-jail’ by authorities, while he is questioned by a joint investigation team of the FIA.
The judge rejected a request from Musharraf’s lawyers for changing the joint investigation team, officials said.
Musharraf was driven in a motorcade from his residence to the anti-terrorism court shortly before 10 a.m. Scores of policemen and armed paramilitary troopers were deployed at the court complex to deter protests against the former dictator.
During Musharraf’s last appearance at the same court earlier this week, several persons were injured when the former President’s supporters clashed with lawyers. The media was barred from the courtroom during today’s proceedings. Footage on television showed Musharraf’s motorcade leaving the court complex after the proceedings.
Musharraf was formally arrested by the FIA yesterday after the anti-terrorism court directed investigators to include him in the probe into the 2007 assassination.
The FIA joint investigation team also recorded Musharraf’s statement last night.
The FIA officials asked Musharraf why Bhutto was notprovided adequate security by his regime when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in 2007, Geo News channel reported.
Musharraf reportedly said Bhutto was provided completesecurity and refused to accept allegations made against him.
Special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told PTI yesterday that the joint investigation team would question
Musharraf on two issues – making a threatening phone call toBhutto and sending an email that warned her not to return to
Pakistan, and failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto after she came back to the country.
Musharraf’s failure to provide adequate security to Bhutto ‘indirectly facilitated and helped terrorists in executing their plan to murder’ her, Ali said.
Musharraf will also be quizzed on why he did not respondto five letters from Bhutto seeking foolproof security ahead of her return to Pakistan.
The joint investigation team is expected to complete questioning Musharraf by May 3.
Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide bomber after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007.
Musharraf was arrested and detained at his villa last week after the Islamabad High Court revoked his bail in a caserelated to the detention of over 60 judges during the 2007 emergency.
He returned to Pakistan last month after nearly four years of self-exile, promising to ‘save’ the country from economic ruin and militancy. However, he was barred from running in the 11 May general election.
PAK TALIBAN ASK PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT POLLS
The Pakistani Taliban has distributed leaflets in many parts of the country, asking people to boycott the 11 May general elections, a media report said.
The Taliban warning came just hours after religious scholars issued an edict, declaring casting vote obligatory on the people, Xinhua reported.
Pamphlets were distributed in the port city of Karachi and Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning citizens not to participate in the upcoming elections.
TALIBAN PLANS TO KIDNAP MUSHARRAF
Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned that the Taliban have made plans to kidnap former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who is currently being held at his private residence here after being arrested in several criminal cases. The intelligence agencies have issued an advisory that the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan might attempt to abduct Musharraf while he is being taken from his farmhouse to court,
Geo News channel reported on Friday. The channel quoted its sources as saying that the Taliban was working with other jihadi groups to kidnap Musharraf. The intelligence agencies directed security agencies to ensure strict surveillance and tight security to foil the plans of the militants, the report said. Shortly after Musharraf returned to Pakistan, the Taliban announced that they had formed a special squad of suicide bombers and snipers to target him.
During a brief hearing at the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman accepted the FIA’srequest to be given physical custody of the 69-year-old former military ruler.
The FIA’s lawyers told the judge that they wanted physical custody of Musharraf so that he could be questioned in connection with the probe into Bhutto’s assassination.
The judge directed the FIA to produce Musharraf in courtagain on 30 April.
Official sources said that Musharraf would continueto be held at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad,declared a ‘sub-jail’ by authorities, while he is questioned by a joint investigation team of the FIA.
The judge rejected a request from Musharraf’s lawyers for changing the joint investigation team, officials said.
Musharraf was driven in a motorcade from his residence to the anti-terrorism court shortly before 10 a.m. Scores of policemen and armed paramilitary troopers were deployed at the court complex to deter protests against the former dictator.
During Musharraf’s last appearance at the same court earlier this week, several persons were injured when the former President’s supporters clashed with lawyers. The media was barred from the courtroom during today’s proceedings. Footage on television showed Musharraf’s motorcade leaving the court complex after the proceedings.
Musharraf was formally arrested by the FIA yesterday after the anti-terrorism court directed investigators to include him in the probe into the 2007 assassination.
The FIA joint investigation team also recorded Musharraf’s statement last night.
The FIA officials asked Musharraf why Bhutto was notprovided adequate security by his regime when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in 2007, Geo News channel reported.
Musharraf reportedly said Bhutto was provided completesecurity and refused to accept allegations made against him.
Special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told PTI yesterday that the joint investigation team would question
Musharraf on two issues – making a threatening phone call toBhutto and sending an email that warned her not to return to
Pakistan, and failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto after she came back to the country.
Musharraf’s failure to provide adequate security to Bhutto ‘indirectly facilitated and helped terrorists in executing their plan to murder’ her, Ali said.
Musharraf will also be quizzed on why he did not respondto five letters from Bhutto seeking foolproof security ahead of her return to Pakistan.
The joint investigation team is expected to complete questioning Musharraf by May 3.
Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide bomber after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007.
Musharraf was arrested and detained at his villa last week after the Islamabad High Court revoked his bail in a caserelated to the detention of over 60 judges during the 2007 emergency.
He returned to Pakistan last month after nearly four years of self-exile, promising to ‘save’ the country from economic ruin and militancy. However, he was barred from running in the 11 May general election.
PAK TALIBAN ASK PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT POLLS
The Pakistani Taliban has distributed leaflets in many parts of the country, asking people to boycott the 11 May general elections, a media report said.
The Taliban warning came just hours after religious scholars issued an edict, declaring casting vote obligatory on the people, Xinhua reported.
Pamphlets were distributed in the port city of Karachi and Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning citizens not to participate in the upcoming elections.
TALIBAN PLANS TO KIDNAP MUSHARRAF
Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned that the Taliban have made plans to kidnap former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who is currently being held at his private residence here after being arrested in several criminal cases. The intelligence agencies have issued an advisory that the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan might attempt to abduct Musharraf while he is being taken from his farmhouse to court,
Geo News channel reported on Friday. The channel quoted its sources as saying that the Taliban was working with other jihadi groups to kidnap Musharraf. The intelligence agencies directed security agencies to ensure strict surveillance and tight security to foil the plans of the militants, the report said. Shortly after Musharraf returned to Pakistan, the Taliban announced that they had formed a special squad of suicide bombers and snipers to target him.
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