BENAZIR MURDER: MUSHARRAF’S FUGITIVE
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced two police officers to 17 years in jail and declared former military ruler Pervez Musharraf a fugitive in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, almost a decade after her assassination.
The court in Rawalpindi acquitted five accused for lack of evidence.
The court’s also directed authorities to seize the property and assets of Musharraf, now in self-imposed exile in Dubai, and to issue perpetual arrest warrants for him. As a “proclaimed offender”, Musharraf must be arrested and brought to trial if he returns. He was allowed to leave the country in 2016 for medical treatment.
One of the police officials was found guilty by Judge Asghar Khan of mishandling security for the rally at which Bhutto was killed, and the other of mishandling the crime scene. They were also ordered to pay Rs 5 lakh each.
Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, as she campaigned to return to power. The head of the Pakistan People’s Party and twotime prime minister was 54.
Footage of the attack showed an assassin shot at her when she emerged through the sunroof of her armoured SUV and then blew himself up, killing 24 people.
After the verdict, Bhutto’s daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari tweeted: “10 years later and we still await justice. Abettors punished but those truly guilty of my mothers murder roam free.”