The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi on Monday approved the bail of former president General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. The former president has been ordered to submit two bonds of Rs1 million each.
Earlier, the ATC reserved its verdict over Pervez Musharraf’s bail plea in the case.
Pervez Musharraf’s bail plea was heard by ATC judge Habibur Rehman. During the hearing, Musharraf’s counsel Salman Safdar said his client could not be held responsible for not carrying out Benazir’s autopsy as it was Asif Ali Zardari who had decided not to do it.
Musharraf’s counsel argued that it was the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that had held the former president responsible for Benazir’s death, adding that investigation of Benazir’s murder was not the FIA’s mandate.
Safdar also questioned why Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Former IB chief Ejaz Shah and Hamid Gul were not part of the investigation even though Benazir Bhutto had told American journalist Mark Siegel that they should be held responsible for her death if something happens to her. Safdar further demanded that the court be told who was responsible for plotting to kill Benazir Bhutto.
Meanwhile the FIA’s prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar said if Musharraf’s bail plea is accepted he will flee from the country.