RAWALPINDI: The judge at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi has been changed at a time when trial for Benazir Bhutto murder case is in its final stages.

Rai Mohammad Ayub Marth is the seventh judge appointed to head the ATC and his predecessor Pervez Ismail Joeya was posted as district and sessions judge Chakwal.

Since 2008, six different judges have headed the Benazir Bhutto trial and the prosecution has filed eight separate challans since the proceeding started on February 29, 2008.

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Total witnesses in the case were 150. As per prosecution less than 10 witnesses had to testify as the statements of all relevant witnesses had been recorded.

The prosecution sources claimed that the trial could have been completed within a few days but the sudden transfer of the judge might cause some delay.

According to sources, the new judge would take some time to settle down and since the trial for the Benazir murder case is being conducted in Adiala Jail, the judge would have to manage his time to not allow this trial to affect others.

Meanwhile, a senior Lahore High Court (LHC) official said the transfer of Judge Joeya was a routine matter. “The posting and transfer of judges would not affect the trial proceedings,” he said.

Within a month of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in December 2007, the police on January 21, 2008 arrested Aitzaz Shah and Sher Zaman for their alleged involvement in the assassination.

This led to the first challan that was filed by the Punjab government, which was heading the investigations in the shape of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

Shortly afterwards, the police arrested Husnain Gul and Rafaqat Hussain, another two accused on February 7, 2008, from Rawalpindi and the second challan followed.

A week later on February 14, 2008, another accused Rasheed Ahmed alias Abdul Rasheed Turabi was arrested from Pirwadhai.

By Feb 29, 2008 the trial had started. In November 2009, the ATC had framed the charges.

The challans in the case were submitted all through 2010 and 2011, while the last challan was submitted in June 24, 2013. Pervez Musharraf was included in the challan as were then Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz and SP Khurram Shahzad Haider, who were responsible for the security arrangements for the political demonstration on December 27.

All three of them were hauled up for their ‘involvement’ early last year – nearly three years after the PPP government was voted in.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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