Musharraf, Sherpao, Nosherwani acquitted in Bugti murder case

Court rejects plea to exhume body of Akbar Bugti; Shahzain says ATC decision to be challenged in superior courts

QUETTA: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Quetta, on Monday acquitted former president Pervez Musharraf, ex-federal interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and former home minister Balochistan Mir Shoaib Nosherwani in the Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti murder case.

ATC Judge Jan Muhammad Gohar announced the verdict. The accused in the Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti murder case, namely former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, former home minister Balochistan Mir Shoaib Nosherwani and ex-federal interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao were acquitted as the allegations of murder against them could not be proved, the court said.

Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Mir Shoaib Nosherwani told media persons that they were given justice. “We are not guilty as we were not involved in the killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. The court did justice and acquitted us in the murder case of Nawab Bugti,” they said.

However, the son of late Nawab Bugti, Nawabzada Jamil Bugti, and grandson Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, and their lawyer Sohail Rajput expressed dissatisfaction over the court decision and said they would appeal in the superior court against the ATC verdict in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

The ATC also rejected the request of Nawabzada Jamil Bugti, the eldest son of the late Nawab Akbar Bugti, to order the exhumation of the body of his father in the Dera Bugti graveyard.

The court issued arrest warrants for other accused of the case, including former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, ex-governor Balochistan Owais Ahmed Ghani and former DCO Dera Bugti Samad Lasi for not appearing before the court during the hearing of the case.