Notices issued as LHC hears Benazir murder case appeal

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) approved for hearing on Monday the pleas submitted by the convicts in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad, two police officials sentenced to prison in the murder case, had challenged the verdict of the anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The case pertaining to the appeal against the verdict was heard by LHC’s Justice Tariq Abbasi and Justice Habibullah Amir. The bench issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing. 

Aziz and Shahzad had challenged the verdict in the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench after receiving a copy of the detailed judgment.

On August 31, the ATC had announced its verdict in the murder case of the former prime minister after nearly ten years.

5 accused acquitted, 2 sentenced, Musharraf declared absconder in Benazir murder case

The ATC had reserved verdict on Wednesday in the nine-year-old case

Aziz, who was the police chief in Rawalpindi at the time of Bhutto’s assassination, and Shahzad, the Rawal Town SP, were sentenced to 17 years each and ordered to pay a fine of Rs0.5 million each for their negligence in investigating the case properly.

The verdict announced by ATC Judge Asghar Khan at Adiala Jail cleared five accused in the case, sentenced two former police officials and declared former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf as an absconder.

The two former police officials had earlier been granted bail and were present in court at the time of the verdict being announced. According to the verdict, the former policemen had been awarded 10 years in prison under Section 119 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and seven years under Section 201 of the PPC.