Summary Rehman Malik was not able to arrive to the court again
Dunya News Report (Jibran Dost)
ISLAMABAD: Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday removed former Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s name from the witnesses list in Benazir Bhutto murder case against General Pervez Musharraf.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on February 2 summoned Rehman Malik to testify his statement on February 8th. However Rehman Malik failed to appear on the given date and the following hearing on February 10, due to which the court asked the former minister to appear on February 15.
ATC Judge Mohammad Ayub Khan Marth recommenced proceedings of the trial when the prosecution notified the judge that Rehman Malik was not able to arrive to the court again. Moreover, the prosecution then requested the court to advance with other witnesses as they were going to eliminate Rehman Malik’s name from the list of witnesses.
Earlier this month, ATC in Rawalpindi summoned former interior minister senator Rehman Malik to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case against the former dictator General (Rtd) Pervez Musharraf.
Rehman Malik was the head of Benazir Bhutto’s security when she was assassinated in December 2007 at Liaquat Baagh, Rawalpindi. He is also one of the prime witnesses that the prosecution has presented the ATC against General Musharraf.
According to the prosecution, Rehman Malik claims that he was present with Benazir Bhutto when General Musharraf threatened her at the Dubai meeting in 2007. Mr. Malik testified that General Musharraf told the former prime minister that her future depended on her relationship with him (Musharraf).
The former interior minister also claims that he wrote numerous letters to General Musharraf requesting him to provide appropriate security for Benazir Bhutto but he never received any reply from the former dictator.
In January, General Pervez Musharraf was acquitted in the murder case of former Baloch activist Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti by the anti-terrorism court in Quetta. The former dictator was indicted in the murder case back in January, 2015. The court also rejected the request of Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, son of late Bugti, to allow an exhumation of the body of Bugti who is buried in Dera Bugti.
On the other hand, American journalist, Mark Siegal claimed that he was present with the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she received a threatening call from Musharraf, warning her not to come back to Pakistan. The journalist also mentioned his conversation with Benazir where she had claimed that President Musharraf refused her request of hiring foreign security teams for her security which eventually lead to her assassination in 2007.
The former president rejected the statements made by journalist Mark Siegal and called the statements ‘a pack of lies’.
Mark Siegal recorded his statement for the ATC on January 20th via a video link from USA.
The prosecution claims that the testimony of Rehman Malik will strengthen the prosecution’s case against former president General (Rtd) Pervez Musharraf who is the prime suspect in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
