Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Pakistani court issues arrest warrant for Musharraf in murder case

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Pakistan on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former military President Pervez Musharraf and former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a murder case of a tribal leader. Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch tribal leader, was killed on Aug. 26, 2006 during a military operation in southwestern Balochistan province when Musharraf was ruling the country. Bugti's family had registered cases against the former president, then prime minister as well as former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, former Governor Balochistan Province Owais Ahmad Ghani and several other government officials. The court in Sibi district in Balochistan province, while issuing arrest warrants, ordered all the accused to appear on Sept. 5. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan between 1999 and 2008, has been living in self-exile since his resignation as president in August 2008 on facing parliamentary impeachment over a variety of charges. The former president has also launched his own political party the All Pakistan Muslim League and has said to return to the country for the parliamentary elections due early next year. Another court has also issued arrest warrant for Musharraf in connection with the 2007 tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Benazir, twice prime minister of Pakistan, was killed in a suicide blast and firing in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Musharraf has denied any involvement in the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

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