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Sunday, August 25, 2013
BHC rejects Musharraf’s plea for transfer of Bugti case* Balochistan withdraws request to transfer case, assures every
possible security to ex-COASQUETTA: A court on Saturday dismissed a petition by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf for his trial over the death of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti to be transferred due to security fears.
Musharraf was head of state in 2006 when Bugti died during an army operation. The retired general is facing charges in several high-profile cases, including the 2007 murder of Benazir Bhutto, as well as the killing of Bugti.
Musharraf’s lawyers on Saturday asked the Balochistan High Court chief justice to shift his trial over Bugti’s death to Rawalpindi. However, the prosecutor general assured the court that the accused would be provided every possible security by the provincial government.
“The court has dismissed our petition saying it is not maintainable,” Ilyas Siddiqui, a lawyer who represented Musharraf in the court, told AFP.
“We had requested that Musharraf has serious security threats in Balochistan, so his case be shifted from the province, but the judge did not agree,” Siddiqui said.
Earlier, the BHC chief justice allowed the provincial government to withdraw a similar petition.
An interim government, set up in the province to conduct general election on May 11, had filed a request in the court for the case to be transferred for security reasons.
However, the newly elected provincial government, which took power in June, withdrew the application and informed the court that they could provide security to Musharraf. staff report/afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk