PPP can’t become a party to Benazir murder case: court RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) here on Tuesday rejected an application filed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to become a party in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case. The court said that there was no scope for a political party to become a party in a murder trial. During the proceedings, ATC Rawalpindi Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman heard a request filed by the PPP to become a party in the case relating to the murder of the former prime minister. Last week, the PPP had decided to become a party in the murder case and had submitted submitted two applications to gain access to the case records. A public prosecutor had been engaged in the case when the court began its proceedings. However, after its exit from power, the PPP had decided to lead the case itself. During Tuesday hearing, PPP’s Secretary General and counsel Sardar Latif Khosa submitted his power of attorney in the court.Khosa presented his arguments before the court and said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the son of Benazir and now her legal heir, therefore, the PPP should be allowed to become a party in the case. The court said there was no scope for a political party to become party in a murder trial and only the heirs can be a party in such trials. After hearing the preliminary arguments presented by Khosa, the court rejected PPP’s application. Speaking to media persons after the hearing, Khosa said evidence pertaining to the former premier’s murder still had not been presented in the court due to which the PPP had decided to become a party in the case. He also clarified that if the PPP was to become a party in the case, it did not mean that the trial would have to be started afresh. Khosa said the Scotland Yard was just supposed to identify the cause of Benazir’s death and not those responsible for the incident. He moreover said that reports about Asif Ali Zardari’s refusal to conduct a post-mortem of Benazir’s body were incorrect, adding that it was the responsibility of the state institutions to ensure that an autopsy was carried out. Meanwhile, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar alleged that Khosa had submitted his power of attorney in the court on behalf of the heirs of Tauqir Kaira who was also killed in the Liaquat Bagh attack with Benazir Bhutto Bhutto. The hearing of the case was subsequently adjourned to September 17.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 03:42:15 +0000
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