PPP challenges Benazir murder verdict, asks LHC to award punishment to Musharraf
The PPP on Monday filed three appeals before the Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench, challenging the verdict passed by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
The appeals, filed by Barrister Latif Khosa on behalf of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, ask the court to announce a punishment for retired Gen Pervez Musharraf in accordance with the ATC verdict.
The ATC, in its ruling on August 31, had directed authorities to seize Musharraf's properties and issue perpetual arrest warrants for the former dictator, while also declaring him an absconder in the case.
"In an email, Benazir Bhutto had told [American journalist and lobbyist] Mark Siegel about the threats made to her life under Musharraf," the appeal states.
In a second appeal, the court has been called upon to change the sentence given to police officers involved in the case.
Saud Aziz, who was police chief of Rawalpindi when Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, and Khurram Shahzad, a former Superintendent of Police at Rawal Town, were each awarded 17 years in prison.
The appeal points out that punishment for murder in the Constitution is death sentence and therefore, the police officers should be given the same.
The third appeal asks the court to award death sentence to the five Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan suspects who were acquitted by the ATC.
The five TTP suspects — Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gul, Sher Zaman, Aitzaz Shah and Abdul Rashid — were cleared of all charges in the murder trial.
The appeal states that Shah was given the benefit of being underage in the verdict; however, he, too, should be given the death sentence.
Bhutto was assassinated during a public gathering at Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh on Dec 27, 2007.