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Thread: Former Prime Minister Of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, Assassinated

  1. #141
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    Musharraf faces 4th death-penalty case as Pakistan names him in Bhutto’s murder

    http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/06/2...#storylink=cpy

    By Tom Hussain | McClatchy Foreign Staff
    Posted on Tuesday, June 25, 2013

    ISLAMABAD — Pakistani investigators Tuesday named former military dictator Pervez Musharraf as the prime suspect in the December 2007 assassination of ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto, raising the tally of capital charges leveled against the once all-powerful army chief over the last week to four.

    The Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan’s national police force, named Musharraf in a document seeking his indictment by the court hearing the Bhutto case in Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to Islamabad that houses the army headquarters.

    Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008 after leading an October 1999 coup d’etat against Nawaz Sharif, who was then in his second term as prime minister and is now back in the office after his party won May elections.

    The Federal Investigation Agency gave little indication of what evidence would be submitted against Musharraf, but it did say it included sworn statements from two Bhutto associates, Briton Victoria Schofield and American Mark Siegel. Both have previously said Bhutto had told them that if she were assassinated when she returned to Pakistan after a decade in exile, Musharraf should be held responsible.

    Bhutto and Schofield attended Oxford University in England together in the 1970s and were close friends. Siegel was her longtime Washington lobbyist.

    The FIA move came a day after Sharif announced to Parliament that his administration would prosecute Musharraf for high treason for twice abrogating Pakistan’s democratic constitution – first, when he led the 1999 coup and then, in November 2007, when he declared a state of emergency to facilitate the sacking of the rebellious Supreme Court chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.

    The two counts of high treason both carry the death penalty if he is convicted.

    The court has given the attorney general’s office until Thursday to specify its planned method of prosecution, but the constitution specifies that treason charges must be heard by a specially formed tribunal of three Supreme Court judges.

    Musharraf was also formally arrested last week for the 2006 killing of Akbar Bugti, a former chief minister of western Baluchistan province who rebelled against Musharraf’s rule in 2004, starting a low-intensity but brutal insurgency that continues to rage. Again, if convicted on the charge, Musharraf would face the death penalty.

    He also has been charged with the illegal confinement of the judges he sacked in November 2007 under anti-terrorism charges that, upon conviction, would carry jail terms calculated in seven-year multiples with chain-gang-style hard labor.

    Such legal accountability against a former military dictator is unprecedented in Pakistan’s 65-year history, during which it has been ruled by four military juntas for half that time. Even in previous democratic administrations, the military and its Inter Services Intelligence directorate have exerted more power than the politicians and twisted public opinion against them through propaganda campaigns in a weak and intimidated news media.

    Probably acting on unofficial advice from the government and the military, no Pakistani news organization has even mentioned the possibility of a former army chief being executed for treason, despite the media being relatively free from censorship.

    The current army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani – who is Musharraf’s protege and successor – in a rare public speech in April, before the May general election won by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, had complained about the former dictator’s arrest and prosecution by a caretaker government.

    However, political analysts reputed as being privy to the military’s political thinking wrote Tuesday that Sharif had discussed the matter with Kayani before announcing the decision to prosecute Musharraf. They believe that Kayani, while unhappy, had swallowed the decision because of reassurances that it would not publicly be styled as a trial of the military as an institution.

    Musharraf is widely hated by the Pakistani public and has found few, if any, people to speak up in his defense.

    The exception is Musharraf’s attorney, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a small-time politician. His sole claim to fame in Pakistan is that he accused Bhutto’s father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was prime minister from 1973 to 1977, of ordering the killing of Kasuri’s father.

    Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was convicted of murder and hanged in 1979 after a trial that Western jurists dismissed as a farce staged by Gen. Zia ul Haq, who’d overthrown him in what was the third of Pakistan’s four military coups.

    Kasuri previously had warned that any trial would force him to name others involved in imposing the November 2007 emergency – a long list of politicians, civil servants and military commanders, including the incumbent army chief. His tactic has been dismissed as an attempt to blackmail the military into intervening on Musharraf’s half.

    In a 2009 ruling, Chaudhry, the reinstated chief justice, ruled that Musharraf was solely responsible for the October 1999 coup, effectively giving other soldiers involved amnesty from prosecution. Most commentators believe the same amnesty would be applied in a treason trial of Musharraf.

    Analysts in Islamabad said Sharif had many reasons for taking on the military immediately after assuming the office of prime minister for a third time. He stepped down in his first term in 1993 under intense military pressure, and was overthrown in 1999, jailed and exiled by Musharraf during his second.

    Sharif has said repeatedly that he carries no vendetta against Musharraf or anybody else.

    The analysts said Sharif had chosen to act because he intends to rule by the letter of the constitution. The imminent retirement of Kayani in December, and competition among generals to be his successor as army chief, have created a one-time political window for Sharif to hold Musharraf accountable for his actions.

    “Sharif and his advisers debated and weighed the matter, and decided that they must act,” said Rauf Klasra, the Islamabad-based editor of Dunya, a popular Urdu daily newspaper.

    Sharif would face a difficult decision in the event Musharraf were to be convicted and sentenced to death by the courts. The constitution provides for a pardon by the president, a job held until September by Asif Ali Zardari, head of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party. He or his successor, who would be nominated by Sharif’s party, would act on Sharif’s advice as prime minister. In turn, Sharif probably would seek Parliament’s opinion which, if true to Pakistan’s political formbook, would be inclined toward reducing the death sentence to life imprisonment or exile – as Musharraf had done to Sharif in 2000.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  2. #142
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    Musharraf murder indictment adjourned

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...d9b9d7d92b.3b1

    By Masroor Gilani (AFP) – 2 days ago

    RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Pakistan's ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday failed to appear in court to be indicted over the murder of former premier Benazir Bhutto due to what police said were security concerns.

    Musharraf, who ruled the nuclear-armed state from 1999-2008, had been summoned to face charges of criminal conspiracy and the murder of Bhutto in December 2007.

    But police and his lawyer told the court in Rawalpindi, the city where Bhutto was assassinated, that it was not safe enough to bring Musharraf to the court due to threats against his life.

    Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman adjourned the indictment until August 20 and ordered Musharraf to appear then.

    Charging a former army chief would be an unprecedented move in a country ruled for more than half of its life by the military.

    There is, however, lingering speculation about the possibility of a behind-the-scenes deal that could allow him to leave Pakistan without facing the courts and undermining the military.

    Musharraf, who has been under house arrest at his plush villa on the edge of the capital Islamabad since April 19, had appeared before the court in person on July 30.

    Musharraf's lawyer Syeda Afshan Adil told the court that security threats meant her client could not appear in person.

    A police official also confirmed that officers were unable to escort Musharraf to the court house due to security risks.

    An AFP reporter said there was tight security at the court with police commandos checking vehicles and patting down pedestrians.

    Bhutto, twice elected prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack in December 2007 after campaigning in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

    There was no public claim of responsibility for Bhutto's murder.

    Musharraf's government blamed her assassination on Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who denied any involvement. He was killed in a US drone attack in 2009.

    The Bhutto case is one in a series of court battles that Musharraf has faced over allegations dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, since he returned in March from four years of self-imposed exile.

    The new government headed by Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf deposed in a coup in 1999, has said he should stand trial for treason and has appointed a committee to investigate the charges against him.

    The offence carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

    He is also wanted over the death of Baluchistan rebel leader Nawab Akbar Bugti during a military operation in 2006.

    Amnesty International released a statement, intended to coincide with Tuesday's indictment, demanding that Pakistan hold Musharraf accountable for all rights violations committed during his rule.

    "It is encouraging to see the courts take the unprecedented step of bringing a former army chief to account," said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International's deputy Asia Pacific director.

    "But Musharraf must be held accountable for all violations committed under his rule, not just a select few," she added.

    The London-based rights group says it has documented a wide range of rights violations committed under Musharraf.

    "Hundreds, if not thousands, were 'disappeared' during Musharraf's administration in particular human rights activists documenting violations committed by state security forces and members of armed opposition groups," said Truscott.

    Pakistani security forces continue to be implicated in the killing, enforced disappearance and torture of terrorism suspects, political activists and human rights defenders, it said.

    "No serving or retired member of Pakistan's security forces is known to have been brought to justice for their alleged involvement in these violations," said Truscott.

    Musharraf, 69, was arrested after returning from exile to stand in the May elections won by Sharif. He was barred from running for parliament because of the legal allegations against him.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  3. #143
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    Pakistan: Hold Musharraf accountable for all abuses during his rule

    http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/pakis...ule-2013-08-06

    The Pakistani authorities must hold former military ruler Pervez Musharraf accountable for all human rights violations committed during his rule, Amnesty International said today.

    Musharraf was expected to be formally charged today at an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad with criminal conspiracy and murder related to the December 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. However, he failed to appear in court after local intelligence services warned his life could be at risk.

    There are a number of other cases pending against Musharraf, including in relation to the 2006 killing of the Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, with trials for these expected to follow later in the year.

    “It is encouraging to see the courts take the unprecedented step of bringing a former Army Chief to account for his alleged involvement in past human rights violations and crimes under international law. But Musharraf must be held accountable for all violations committed under his rule, not just a select few,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.

    Amnesty International documented a wide range of human rights violations committed during the near 10-year rule of Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan (1999-2008).

    “Hundreds, if not thousands, were ‘disappeared’ during Musharraf’s administration in particular human rights activists documenting violations committed by state security forces and members of armed opposition groups. In his final full year in office, 2007, Musharraf also led a clampdown on the judiciary and independent media,“ said Truscott.

    As Amnesty International has documented in detail, Pakistan’s security forces continue to be implicated in human rights violations, such as the killing, enforced disappearance and torture of terrorism suspects, political activists and human rights defenders across the country and especially in the northwest tribal areas and Balochistan province.

    “No serving or retired member of Pakistan’s security forces is known to have been brought to justice for their alleged involvement in these violations,“ said Truscott.

    “It is crucial that Pervez Musharraf – as any other accused in Pakistan - receives a fair, independent and impartial trial without recourse to the death penalty. His human rights must be protected, just like the thousands of other criminal suspects who faced enforced disappearance, torture and other violations during his rule.”
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  4. #144
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    Pakistan Court Charges Musharraf for Killing of Bhutto

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...ir-bhutto.html

    By Augustine Anthony - Aug 20, 2013 1:09 AM ET

    A Pakistani court indicted Pervez Musharraf in the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, escalating legal challenges to the ex-military dictator since he ended his self-exile in March.

    Charges were read out to Musharraf that he was complicit in Bhutto’s killing as he failed to provide adequate security at a political rally she was attending, public prosecutor Chaudhary Mohammad Azhar told reporters after a brief court appearance by the former general.
    Enlarge image Pakistan Court Charges Musharraf for Killing of Benazir Bhutto

    A campaign poster for the party of Pervez Musharraf, former Pakistan's prime minister, who is facing a barrage of legal cases over his time in power, is displayed on a street in Islamabad on May 3, 2013. Photographer: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images

    “Musharraf was charged for murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation of murder,” Azhar said. “He denied the charges.” Six other people were also indicted and the hearing was adjourned till Aug. 27, state-run Pakistan Television reported, citing court proceedings.

    Musharraf, who returned to Pakistan in an unsuccessful bid to contest May’s parliament election, is also facing possible prosecution over his suspension of the country’s constitution toward the end of his rule and the death of a Baluch separatist leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti. He has been kept under house arrest in Islamabad since his arrest April 19.

    The former president was brought to a special anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, near the capital, under tight security as he faced threats to his life, a defense lawyer, Afshan Adil, said outside the court. Musharraf survived at least four assassination attempts by Islamic extremists while in power from 1999 to 2008.

    Political Comeback
    The former army chief seized power after overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999 coup and stepped down as president in 2008 to avoid impeachment charges. He left Pakistan and lived mainly in London and Dubai for more than four years.

    Bidding for a political comeback, Musharraf vowed to fight the election that brought Sharif back to power in May, only to be barred from standing by poll officials citing his emergency decree of 2007.

    Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack at a rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007. A United Nations report, released in 2010, said her death may have been prevented had security forces taken proper steps after death threats were made against her.

    Musharraf’s administration said former Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud ordered Bhutto’s murder after she criticized the Taliban for terrorist attacks in Pakistan and announced she would help the U.S. eliminate the group.

    The Pakistani chief prosecutor investigating the Bhutto case was shot dead May 3 by unidentified gunmen in Islamabad while he was heading for a hearing.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  5. #145
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    Musharraf enjoys life of luxury in detention
    Pakistan's former leader may be under house arrest, but he writes his memoirs, works out and eats meals cooked by his personal chef

    http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/articl...xury-detention

    At the end of a quiet lane snaking through the well-heeled Islamabad suburb of Chak Shahzad, a terracotta-coloured house modelled on a Moroccan courtyard home stands amid spreading orchards and wheat fields.

    It would be a restful, bucolic scene, were it not for the 300 policemen, paramilitaries, soldiers, snipers and anti-terrorist officers on hand to guard the owner, Pervez Musharraf, former leader of Pakistan.

    The one-time military strongman is under house arrest but enjoying detention deluxe: writing his memoirs, working out each day and eating meals cooked by his personal chef.

    The former general, who ruled from 1999 to 2008 after deposing an elected government in a bloodless coup, returned to Pakistan in March after years of self-imposed exile in London.

    He returned vowing to stand in the general election and "save" Pakistan, but his arrival restarted a barrage of legal cases related to his time in power, including murder charges over the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

    The Chak Shahzad house was declared a "sub-jail" by a court in April, and he has lived there in detention ever since, as the cases against him grind through Pakistan's slow-moving judicial system.

    As the man who allied his country with Washington in its "war on terror" after the 9/11 attacks, Musharraf is in danger from Islamist militants who have vowed to kill him.

    The house he commissioned back in 2006, at the height of his power, was still under construction when he was forced from power and into exile. It is now both his prison and his refuge.

    "The house was 95 per cent finished before he left, but the first time he spent a night in the house was after he came back this year," said Hammad Husain, the architect.

    Aides say Musharraf, 70, is keeping his body in shape with 75-minute workouts every morning and his mind sharp with reading and writing.

    "He is writing a second book. I have seen the text. He has written substantially but there is still work to be done," his official spokesman, Raza Bokhari, said.

    The new volume will follow on from his first book of memoirs published in 2006, In the Line of Fire.

    "It is picking up from 2007 onwards, from the peak of his popularity to his downfall, to life in self-imposed exile and then formation of a political party and return to Pakistan," Bokhari said.

    Despite the rigorous security, provided under the auspices of the tough Adyala prison in Rawalpindi, Musharraf still fears his enemies will try to get to him.

    "His food is not prepared in prison but on the premises, by his cook, for security reasons. He is afraid of being poisoned," a prison source said.

    He keeps a close eye on his legal tussles, accusations his entourage dismiss as politically motivated, "false, fabricated and fictitious".

    In Pakistan, court cases can drag on interminably, but charges can also be dropped overnight when an agreement emerges to let the accused leave the country.

    There have been rumours for months of a possible deal to let Musharraf go back into exile, to avoid a clash between the government and the all-powerful army, which is keen to avoid seeing one of its own tried by civilians.

    His team admit the cases against him could last years, but insist the old soldier is in top form to "fight another fight he has to fight".

    "He is in very good spirits. He's a strong person," said an aide.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  6. #146
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    Musharraf granted bail in Bugti murder case

    http://dawn.com/news/1048525/musharr...ti-murder-case

    2013-10-09 13:43:25

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to former president Pervez Musharraf over the death of Baloch rebel leader Akbar Bugti, bringing closer the former dictator’s possible release after nearly six months of house arrest.

    Musharraf has now been granted bail in three major cases against him, including one relating to the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

    His lawyer said the ruling meant he was a “free man”. But he is likely to remain under heavy guard at his villa on the edge of Islamabad, where he has been under house arrest since April, because of serious threats to his life.

    A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, heard Musharraf's appeal against the Balochistan High Court’s rejection of his bail application in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

    The bench observed that substantial evidence was not available to involve Musharraf in the criminal conspiracy regarding Bugti’s murder and granted bail to the former president.

    His lawyer Ibrahim Satti said the three-member bench had granted bail in the Bugti case in return for surety bonds worth two million rupees.

    Though the court had summoned Jamil Bugti, a son of Nawab Akbar Bugti, who is a complainant in the case, he remained absent from today’s hearing.

    Musharraf ‘a free man’
    “Pervez Musharraf is a free man now after getting bail in the Bugti case,” said Qamar Afzal, another counsel for the former president.

    As well as the Bugti and Bhutto cases, Musharraf also faces cases over the suspension of judges during emergency rule, which he imposed in 2007.

    The Taliban have threatened to kill the 70-year-old former general, who as president allied Pakistan with Washington in the US “war on terror” in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

    Security remained tight at Musharraf's villa, an AFP reporter at the scene said, with no sign of any preparations for departure.

    Musharraf's spokesman Raza Bokhari said the general was “gratified” by the bail ruling but determined to clear his name of charges which he has always maintained were politically motivated.

    “After all these formalities are finalised he would be free to travel within and outside Pakistan, but this is just the beginning. These court cases are a long-run process,” said Bokhari.

    “He will continue to fight these cases until his name is clear of these false, fabricated and fictitious charges.”

    ‘No decision to leave Pakistan’
    The secretary-general of Musharraf's political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, said he expected “progress” on Thursday after the bonds are paid but denied Musharraf planned to leave Pakistan.

    “There has been no deal with the government, nor has Musharraf taken any decision to immediately leave the country,” Muhammad Amjad told reporters.

    Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March to run in the general election, vowing to “save” the country from economic collapse and militancy.

    But he was barred from contesting the election, won convincingly by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – the man he ousted from power in 1999 – and was hit with a barrage of criminal cases dating back to his rule.

    He has been living in part of his 1,100 square metre house, declared a “sub-jail” under the auspices of the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, where he is guarded by some 300 police, paramilitaries and marksmen.

    Reports have claimed he is enjoying a comfortable life in detention. He has even had the services of his personal cook because of his fears of being poisoned.

    Since Sharif won the election there have been repeated rumours that a deal would be reached to allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan before his trials were completed.

    Musharraf spokesman Bokhari insisted no such arrangement had been cooked up.

    One theory was that Musharraf might be allowed to visit his sick elderly mother in Dubai on compassionate grounds, but APML spokesman Amjad rejected the idea.

    “Musharraf's mother has been quite unwell for quite some time but he has not reached any deal nor has he made any request to leave the country to see his mother,” Amjad said.

    Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in August 2006 in an explosion in a cave where he had taken refuge during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.

    Bugti had led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources.

    The death of the Baloch chieftain sparked angry protests in parts of the country.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


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    Musharraf rearrested over Lal Masjid operation

    http://www.dawn.com/news/1048796/mus...sjid-operation

    Published 2013-10-10 20:09:59

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was rearrested in Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) killing case hours after submitting surety bonds in the Supreme Court on Thursday.

    The rearrest came after he had been granted bail in three other cases and his lawyer said on Wednesday he was cleared to leave the country.

    Assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, death of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and detention of deposed Supreme Court judges were the other three major cases registered against the former military strongman.

    “We have put General Musharraf under house arrest in a case involving a military operation on an Islamabad mosque,” Muhammad Rizwan, a senior official of the Islamabad police told reporters.

    “We will present him before a court on Friday,” Rizwan added, after visiting Musharraf's plush villa at the edge of Islamabad, which has been declared a sub jail.

    A complaint against Musharraf in the Lal Masjid case was registered last month on the orders of a judge.

    On Wednesday, Musharraf was granted bail in the case of the death of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti after the apex court granted his appeal against rejection of a similar plea by the Balochistan High Court.

    The apex court had asked the former army strongman to submit two surety bonds of Rs 1 million each to the Supreme Court Registrar.

    A spokesman of Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party confirmed the arrest saying they will now apply for bail in the latest case.

    “Yes, Police have officially arrested General Musharraf and put him under house arrest. We will file his bail application soon,” Muhammad Amjad, secretary general of the APML told AFP.

    The Lal Masjid operation was a 2007 government crackdown on the controversial pro-Taliban mosque in Islamabad, which ended in a bloody eight-day siege killing at least 58 Pakistani troops and seminary students.

    The operation followed a week-long standoff between the mosque's supporters and security forces.

    A number of witnesses in their statements had alleged that Musharraf, then president of Pakistan, was responsible for the action.

    Musharraf was forced out of office after trying and failing to fire the country's chief justice. The former president and head of the army went into exile in 2008 but returned earlier this year in an abortive attempt to launch a political career – Reuters/AFP/Dawn.com
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    Probe against Musharraf to be completed in six weeks: FIA

    http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-New...-six-weeks-FIA

    Sunday, October 20, 2013
    From Print Edition

    ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday said it would complete a probe into the 2007 emergency imposed by former President Pervez Musharraf in six weeks.

    FIA Director-General Saud Mirza said the statements of some bureaucrats had been recorded as part of the probe. The investigation will be completed within six weeks, he said.

    Mirza said the probe was launched on the directives of the interior minister and Musharraf’s statement would soon be recorded.

    Though the government ordered the inquiry in June, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on October 12 that he had asked the FIA to fast-track the case of high treason against Musharraf and to take the matter to a logical conclusion in six weeks.

    The case was registered against Musharraf for subverting the Constitution by imposing an emergency in November 2007. The emergency lasted until December 15 of the same year.

    In July 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that the military strongman’s decision to impose emergency was unconstitutional and illegal.

    Musharraf is currently seeking bail in a case over the killing of cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi during a military crackdown on the Lal Masjid in 2007.

    He has already been granted bail in three other key cases, including one related to the 2007 emergency and another over the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

    He has been under arrest for nearly six months at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad, guarded by nearly 300 security personnel, including soldiers and snipers.

    He took power in a 1999 coup and ruled as president until he resigned when he was threatened with impeachment in 2008.

    He then went into self-imposed exile and returned to Pakistan in March to resurrect his political career. His party says that as and when Musharraf gets bail in all the cases, he will remain in Pakistan and fight the cases.

    However, many say he could fly out of the country.

    The Interior Ministry recently confirmed that Musharraf was included in the Exit Control List, which has the names of people barred from travelling out of Pakistan.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


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    Pakistan's Musharraf granted bail in last legal case against him

    http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/196...e-against-him/

    November 4, 2013, 11:34 pm

    Islamabad (AFP) - A Pakistan court on Monday granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over a deadly raid on a radical mosque, bringing closer his possible release after more than six months of house arrest.

    The ruling by an Islamabad district court means the ex-general is on bail in all the cases brought against him since his return to Pakistan from self-imposed exile, including one relating to the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

    But the 70-year-old is likely to remain under heavy guard at his villa on the edge of Islamabad, where he has been under house arrest since April, because of serious threats to his life.

    Judge Wajid Ali approved bail on condition Musharraf pays bonds totalling 200,000 rupees ($2,000). The trial is due to start on November 11.

    Defence lawyer Afshan Adil told AFP the money would be paid on Tuesday, but rejected rumours that have circulated in recent months that Musharraf would try to leave Pakistan.

    "He is not going abroad and will stay in the country," she said.

    Musharraf's name is currently on the interior ministry's "exit control list", meaning he cannot leave Pakistan without the approval of the government.

    Musharraf was arrested last month over the 2007 raid on the Red Mosque in Islamabad, just a day after he was given bail in the last of three major cases against him dating back to his 1999-2008 rule.

    The order to the army to storm the Red Mosque, where armed radicals had holed up just a stone's throw from the parliament building, took Musharraf to the top of the Taliban hit list.

    The operation left more than 100 people dead and unleashed a wave of Islamist violence that rocks Pakistan to this day.

    Tariq Asad, a lawyer for the Red Mosque, condemned the bail ruling and said an appeal would be launched in the high court.

    Musharraf's aides have said the charges against him are trumped up and politically motivated and his official spokesman welcomed Monday's ruling.

    "We are confident that eventually domestic and international push-back will compel Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to cease in his tracks and the allegations filed against former president Musharraf in the Red Mosque matter will be withdrawn," Raza Bokhari said in a statement.

    Former commando Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March to run in the May general election, vowing to "save" the country from economic collapse and militancy.

    But he was barred from standing in the election, won convincingly by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif -- the man he ousted from power in 1999 -- and was hit with a series of criminal cases dating back to his rule.

    Musharraf has faced charges over Bhutto's murder at an election rally in 2007, the death of a Baluch rebel leader in 2006 and the suspension of judges in 2007.

    In April he was put under house arrest, an unprecedented move in a country ruled for more than half of its life by the military. The decision was seen by many as a challenge to the armed forces' power.

    Since Sharif won the election there have been repeated rumours that a deal would be reached to allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan before his trials were completed.

    One theory was that he might be allowed to visit his sick elderly mother in Dubai on compassionate grounds, but aides have said repeatedly that he is determined to face justice and clear his name.

    The ex-ruler has been living in part of his 1,100 square metre (12,000 square foot) house, declared a "sub-jail" under the auspices of a prison in Rawalpindi. He is guarded by some 300 police, paramilitaries and marksmen.

    Reports have claimed he is enjoying a comfortable life in detention. He has even had the services of his personal cook because of his fears of being poisoned.

    The Taliban have threatened to kill Musharraf, who as president allied Pakistan with Washington in the US "war on terror" in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


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