RAWALPINDI: Former Superintendent of Police (SP) Headquarters, Rawalpindi, Ashfaq Anwar, who presently holds office of district police officer (DPO), Jaffarabad (Dera Bugti), has recorded his statement before Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) No. 1 judge, Pervez Ismael Joya in Benazir Bhutto murder case here on Monday. Former SP Headquarters, Rawalpindi, Ashfaq Anwar stands his statement recorded under Sections 161 and 164 in 2010 saying that as a special duty officer, he left Liaquat Bagh to Koral Chowk on the orders of former city police officer (CPO) Saud Aziz on December 27, 2007. In his statement, former SP Headquarters, Rawalpindi, Ashfaq Anwar who was special security officer of Benazir Bhutto told the court that it was his duty to bring her from Faizabad to Liaquat Bagh under security cover and he did it. “On December 27, 2007 at 3:15pm, when I was performing my duty to provide security to Benazir Bhutto at Liaquat Bagh, my boss, former city police officer (CPO) Saud Aziz ordered me to reach Koral Chowk immediately. An incident of firing took place at the chowk in which some of the people received serious injuries. When I reached Koral Chowk, I saw that former CPO Saud Aziz was also present there. Meanwhile, SSP Islamabad Kaleem Imam also joined us at Koral Chowk,” he stated.He also told the court that at 4:30pm, former CPO Saud Aziz ordered him to reach Sadiqabad where a procession of Nawaz Sharif would arrange. “Former CPO ordered me to report SSP Tahir Ayub at Sadiqabad at that time,” he said. Former SP Ashfaq Anwar told the court that SSP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq through telephone ordered him to reach Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) immediately where Benazir Bhutto’s body was kept. “I reached RGH and performed duty there for a long time.”To a question, the former SP said, “I was bound to obey the orders of former CPO Saud Aziz as he was my immediate boss.” The court has adjourned hearing till today (Tuesday).The court has ordered FIA to present two witnesses named Muhammad Wesal belonged to Madrassah Akora Khattak and another witness Muhammad Ismael, an official of ISI today for recording their statements. Earlier, ATC Rawalpindi on the request of FIA Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar had to declare former SSP (Operations) Yaseen Farooq a ‘hostile witness’ in Benazir Bhutto murder case.
