ATC reissues summons for Rehman Malik

Benazir murder case

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi Judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth on Wednesday re-issued summons to ex-federal minister Rehman Malik to appear in next hearing on February 15 to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

Nasir Turabi, lawyer of Senator Rehman Malik, filed an application regarding exemption of his presence for a day. The lawyer told the court that his client was busy in the Senate, therefore, he could not appear in the court on Wednesday.

The court directed presence of Rehman Malik on next date of hearing at any cost.On the other hand, Rehman Malik in his statement said he did not give any statement to anybody regarding the 2007 assassination of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto.

The ATC summoned the former interior minister to record his statement in the BB murder case third time on Wednesday. Malik was chief security adviser of Benazir Bhutto when she was assassinated at Liaquat Bagh.

The court was told that earlier summons to Rehman Malik had not been responded.Judge Rai Ayub Marth re-issued the summons directing Malik to appear before the court on next hearing to proceed the case following the indictment of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and other accused.

Malik is listed in the calendar of prosecution witnesses provided to the trial court by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA). The court has recorded statements of all members of a police joint investigation team that investigated the former prime minister’s death. The cross-examination on the statement of SSP Waqar Chohan was also completed.

The FIA special prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, former city police officer (CPO) Saud Aziz and former SP Rawal Khurram Shahzad were also present in court during the hearing.