Karachi, Sept 12: A Pakistani court today reserved its decision on whether to allow President Pervez Musharraf to testify at the trial of five accused of allegedly plotting to assassinate him, court officials said. After hearing defence and prosecution arguments judge Aale Maqbool Rizvi said he would give his decision tomorrow, public prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti said. The prosecution opposed the defence application claiming that the president was exempted from such a summons.
"The president has immunity under the law against such summons and he cannot be called in the court," Bhatti said.
Police allege Islamic militants parked an explosive-laden vehicle on a busy Karachi Road which Musharraf's motorcade was expected to pass on April 26, 2002.

The plot failed because a remote control detonator malfunctioned, according to police.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The same vehicle was later used in an attack on the US consulate in Karachi in which 12 Pakistanis were killed, police say.

Mohammad Imran Bhai, Mohammad Ashraf, Hanif Ayub, Arsalan Shahrib Farooqi And Wasim Akhtar, who were formally charged last week, have denied the charges.

Bhai and Ayub were sentenced to death in May for their role in the June 14, 2002 car bomb attack on the US Consulate.

Bureau Report