RAWALPINDI: The last prosecution witness in the Benazir Bhutto murder case is likely to testify before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday.

The 68th and last prosecution witness in the murder case is former additional director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mohammad Khalid Qureshi, who was also the head of a joint investigation team which reinvestigated the Benazir Bhutto murder case after the PPP formed the government in 2008.

According to sources in the prosecution, Mr Qureshi will record his testimony on Wednesday and Barrister Farogh Nasim, who is counsel for former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, will cross examine him the next day.

Initially, a trial of four suspects began in February 2008 after the Rawalpindi police arrested them after the attack in which Bhutto was killed. However, when PPP formed its government in the centre in 2008, the investigation was transferred to the FIA and Mr Qureshi was made head of the joint investigation team.

The team implicated Mr Musharraf and two senior police officers, Deputy Inspector General Saud Aziz and Superintendent of Police Khurram Shahzad, as accused in the case in 2010.

The trial re-commenced when Aziz and Shahzad were arrested and with the return of Mr Musharraf in 2013, the prosecution added him in the challan and the trial restarted once again.

The last prosecution witness, Mohammad Khalid Qureshi, was due to testify last week. He could not appear before the court then and was summoned on May 2. Due to the absence of some defence lawyers, the recording of his statement was postponed till May 4.

After Mr Qureshi’s testimony, the prosecution will submit evidence against the accused persons which may include the United Nations Commission report, forensic reports and other case properties.

In the last stage of the trial, the court will give the accused an opportunity to record their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the court may then conclude proceedings.

According to a senior prosecutor in the Benazir murder case, this exercise is likely to be completed during the current month and the court may announce a much awaited verdict in the coming weeks.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2016