Musharraf declared absconder in ex-Pakistan PM murder

A Pakistani court Thursday declared former military ruler Pervez Musharraf an absconder in the murder case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, ordering his property confiscated.

The anti-terrorism court judge Asghar Khan announced the verdict in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, where former police chief Saud Aziz and former superintendent of police at Rawal Town Khurram Shehzad were also present.

The court awarded 17 years each to Aziz and Shehzad for “negligence” and also ordered them to pay a fine of Rs 0.5 million each.

Benazir Bhutto, who served two times as prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, soon after she addressed an election campaign rally. At least 23 other people were also killed in that attack.

The court also acquitted five men, who had been accused of being Taliban fighters involved in the plot to murder Bhutto, over lack of evidence.

Responding on the development, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, a daughter of the slain premier, said: "10 years later and we still await justice".

In a series of tweets, Aseefa, who is the youngest of Bhutto's three children, said: "There will be no justice till Pervez Musharraf answers for his crimes.”

Meanwhile, Syed Nayyer Hussein Bukhari, former senate chairman and a senior leader of Bhutto’s political party, told reporters that his party was not satisfied with the judgment and that it will file an appeal against the verdict in the high court.