Benazir Bhutto murder case: ATC again issues arrest warrants for Musharraf

The Anti Terrorist Court on Saturday again issued arrest warrants for former president Pervez Musharraf in Benazir Bhutto assassination case and directed the Federal Investigation Agency to ensure his arrest in 15 days. Rana Nisar Ahmed Khan, Judge of ATC-III resumed the hearing of the high-profile murder of Benazir Bhutto in high security prison Central Jail Adiala but due to boycott of the prosecutors hearing was adjourned till March 19.
The court after issuing the arrest warrants for Musharraf directed the prosecution to ensure that the accused be presented in the court within 15 days. The learned judge adjourned the hearing of the case till March 19, after prosecutors boycotted the hearing in protest against the jail administration. Hearing into Benazir Bhutto assassination case was to be conducted in Adiala Jail on Saturday but when the prosecutors came for hearing, Chaudhry Zulfiqar and Chaudhry Azhar boycotted it in protest against the jail administration that stopped them from entering the jail premises.
The jail administration's stance was that the prosecutors wanted to enter the jail premises with high security due to which they barred them from entering the jail. The FIA had contacted the Foreign Office regarding the arrest warrants for Musharraf in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and sought help to obtain the residential address of the former president to ensure his appearance before the ATC. Meanwhile, the ATC during the hearing of Salmaan Taseer's assassination case recorded the statement of two more prosecution witnesses on Saturday.
Raja Ikhlaq Hussain, Judge of the Anti Terrorist Court (ATC) II resumed the hearing of the Salmaan Taseer assassination case in high security prison Central Jail Adiala under heavy security. Saiful Malok Advocate appeared on behalf of the prosecution while Malik Rafiq, Tariq Dhamiyal and Shujaur Rehman on behalf of Malik Mumtaz Qadri.
The prosecution presented two witnesses Khurram Shehzad, draftsman and Sub Inspector Gulfaraz in the court and their statements were recorded. The prosecution called two more witnesses - Umar Farooq, Muhrer of Police Lines and In-charge Arms Section but they didn't appear.
The court has so far testified six prosecution witnesses including Dr Arshad, ASI Iftikhar, ASI Safdar, Constable Abdul Rahim, Khurram Shehzad and Sub Inspector Gulfaraz. The court scheduled the next hearing for March 19, 2011. Due to Lahore High Court's engagements on March 19, the lawyers requested the hearing date to be set later. The court then rescheduled the hearing for March 26, 2011. Meanwhile, police on Saturday questioned Mumtaz Qadri, the alleged assassin of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, in the investigation of minorities affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti's murder.