An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Monday dismissed General Pervez Musharraf's petition against use of 'video link' to record statement of American journalist and lobbyist Mark Siegel in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. The court said in its verdict that the recording of the Siegel's testimony through video link was justified.
General Musharraf's counsel Barrister Farogh Naseem, however, argued before the court that legal requirements were not fulfilled while recording statement of the key prosecution witness. He requested the court to summon Siegel to Pakistan to record his statement.
Prosecutor in the case Khawaja Imtiaz argued before the court that the accused had raised no objection before recording of Siegel's testimony. The statement was recorded after three months of struggle but Musharraf and his counsel as well never objected to it. While rejecting the former president's petition, the ATC directed the relevant authorities to take another appointment from Siegel for cross-examination in the case.
Siegel, known as close friend of late Benazir Bhutto, had cited security reasons for his refusal to appear in person to record his statement against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir assassination case.
Recording his testimony a through video link from the United States on October 18, Siegel claimed he was with Benazir Bhutto on September 25, 2007, when she had received a telephone call from Musharraf "threatening her with dire consequences if she returned to Pakistan." Siegel said that Benazir sent him an important email after reaching Pakistan in which she had said "if something happens to her Musharraf should be held responsible for that". Two months later, she was assassinated in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, when she was leaving Liaquat Bagh after addressing a public rally there.
In August 2013, Musharraf was indicted in the case. He was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation for murder. Musharraf denied all the charges and accused the then leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud of being behind Benazir's killing. General Musharraf has already termed the statement of Mark Siegel in the case a pack of lies. "Mark Siegel's statement is a conspiracy by anti-Pakistan elements and our enemies want to use the statement against Pakistan," said the former army chief in a statement released in the first week of October this year.