RAWALPINDI: At the request of the prosecution in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi summoned on Tuesday former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik to record his statement.

Mr Malik was head of Ms Bhutto’s security when she was assassinated on Dec 27, 2007, after addressing a public gathering at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

The former interior minister had in April 2013 recorded a statement earlier to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

According to the prosecution, Mr Malik in his statement recorded before the investigation officer, had testified that former president retired General Pervez Musharraf had threatened Ms Bhutto at a meeting held in Dubai prior to her departure for Pakistan in 2007.

According to sources in the prosecution team, Mr Malik claimed that he had been there when Mr Musharraf threatened Ms Bhutto at the Dubai meeting that her future depended on her relationship with him [Musharraf].

Mr Malik also claimed in the statement to have written a number of letters to Gen Musharraf requesting him to provide appropriate security to Ms Bhutto.

The sources in the prosecution claimed that the testimony of Mr Malik would strengthen the prosecution case against Gen Musharraf.

The prosecution seeks testimony of Mr Malik to prove its case against Gen Musharraf who is also one of the accused in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

In 2010 the prosecution named four witnesses against Gen Musharraf – former interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah, former director general of the National Crisis Management Cell retired Brig Javed Iqbal, former director general of Intelligence Bureau retired Brig Ejaz Shah and US lobbyist Mark Siegel. Kamal Shah, Brig Iqbal and Mr Siegel recorded their statements with the ATC. However, the prosecution did not bring Brig Shah into the witness box.

On Jan 20, Mark Siegel concluded his statement with the court via a video link from the US.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016