ATC orders confiscation of Musharraf’s assets

RAWALPINDI – An anti-terrorism court hearing the Benazir assassination case Saturday directed the FIA to confiscate all the movable and immovable property of former President Pervez Musharraf. The court also ordered to freeze his bank accounts.

ATC No 3 Judge Shahid Rafique, while hearing the case at Adyala Jail, gave the orders after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in compliance with an earlier order came up with details of the assets and bank accounts of the retired General.

The court had summoned former president Musharraf, one of the accused in Benazir Bhutto murder case, many times, but neither he himself appeared nor did any lawyer come forward on his behalf. This clearly showed how lightly General (r) Musharraf was taking the matter.

Pervez Musharraf has been living in self-imposed exile for the past two years and plans to return to the country on March 23 next year. However, it is not clear whether the situation at home would permit him to take the risk.

During the hearing, the FIA prosecutors informed the court the accused leader owned a farm house in Chak Shehzad, Islamabad, and a 1,000 square yards plot in Gawadar Housing Society. Musharaff also had more than Rs80 million in his accounts in six different banks in Pakistan, they added.

Former CPO Syed Saud Aziz and former Rawal Town SP Khuram Shehzad, who have already got bails from the court, and five other accused Aitzaz Shah, Rafaqat, Hussain Gull, Abdul Rahseed and Sher Zaman were present in the courtroom. But the court could not frame charges against these accused as they refused to sign charge sheets, saying that their defence counsels Naseer Khan Tanwali and Abdul Rehman were observing Aitkaf and they would not sign any paper in their absence.

One of the accused named Sher Zaman filed a bail plea before the trial court, on which the judge issued notices to FIA prosecution asking them to present the record of the case on September 5. The judge adjourned the case till September 10.