Musharraf Charged for Killing Benazir Bhutto
Indicting a former chief of the army for murder is an exceptional move, that too in a country like Pakistan which has been ruled by the military for several years in a row. Army is still believed to be the most commanding institution in the country but keeping all these facts aside, the former army chief and president, Pervez Musharraf has been charged on three counts for the murder of Benazir Bhutto who was the opposition leader and a powerful figure in the Pakistani political scenario.
Earlier in the year 2007, Musharraf was summoned to face the charges of criminal conspiracy in the case of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, which was carried out by a series of gun fires followed by a suicide bombing attack. Bhutto was killed in December 2007 after addressing an election rally. She had returned to Pakistan only a few weeks ago after years of self imposed exile.
Chaudhry Azhar, the public prosecutor of the case, told AFP that Musharraf has been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and facilitation of murder. If found guilty, he can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Besides Musharraf, seven more people have been indicted in the case including members of Taliban and two senior police officials.
Musharraf was under put house arrest at his farmhouse located in a suburb of Islamabad. When the charges were read out to him in the court, he denied them all and promised that he will prove his innocence. Musharraf’s lawyer, Ilyas Siddique said, “Our position is categorically not guilty.”
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