An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday framed charges against five persons allegedly involved in the assassination of Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto, and asked the prosecution to make sure that the statements of the witnesses are recorded on the next hearing on November 29.
ATC-I judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman resumed the hearing of the Benazir Bhutto assassination case here and indicted five accused, including Rafaqat, Husnain Gul, Sherzaman, Abdul Rashid and Aitzaz Shah. The court framed charges against the accused, who refused to accept the charges levelled against them.
The three accused in the case, Aitzaz Shah, Sher Zaman and Abdul Rashid, are blamed only for having prior information related to the suicide attack on public meeting of the PPP to be addressed by Benazir Bhutto, but they did not inform the police and other relevant authorities.
The remaining two accused, Rafaqat and Hasnain Gul, have been charged with formally facilitating the suicide bomber and having knowledge about the conspiracy to murder Benazir Bhutto.
Lawyers Naseer Tanoli and Khurram Qureshi appeared in the ATC on behalf of accused, while Raja Yasin represented the government as public prosecutor. The accused were brought in the ATC under very tight security as police and other law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the court premises and did not allow anybody to enter the area. The court was adjourned to November 29.
It is pertinent to note that ATC-I judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman had declared chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsud and his four accomplices, including Abdullah alias Saddam, Faiz Ahmed alias Kiscuit, Ikram alias Usman and Abdur Rehman, as proclaimed offenders and asked the prosecution to make sure the arrest of these five co-accused.
But so far no arrest has been made and the government has published their names as proclaimed offenders. The government had nominated Baitullah Mehsud as mastermind in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and Liaquat Bagh suicide bombing on December 27, 2007.
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