Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has requested the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) hearing the Benazir Bhutto assassination case to declare former military ruler Pervez Musharraf an absconder, and order all his property to be seized.
Musharraf, during whose presidency former prime minister Benazir’s assassination took place in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, was not named an accused in the original FIR, but the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) later required him for investigation and named him in the case suspecting him of abetment/conspiracy, following which the court issued non-bailable arrest warrants thrice for him.
The notice, however, remained un-executed the third time as well, as no arrest of Musharraf, who lives in London, could come about.
When ATC judge Rana Nisar Ahmed asked the prosecutor about the progress in the implementation of the arrest warrant issued to Musharraf, the court was informed that according to the British Home Department, there was no agreement between Pakistan and the UK for handing over Musharraf to the country.
During the hearing at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Saturday, the FIA told the court through an application that they had failed to contact Musharraf for a probe despite repeated efforts, and requested the court to declare him a proclaimed offender in the Benazir murder case, The News reports.
The court told the FIA to submit a complete report regarding the British Home Department’s refusal to receive Musharraf’s arrest warrant, so that the case could be moved forward.
The court adjourned the hearing until May 07.
ANI
