QUETTA- Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was exempted from appearing in court today to attend the proceedings of the Akbar Bugti murder case.
Summoning Musharraf on June 16, 2014 the court ordered that the former president's guarantors should ensure his presence during future hearings. ATC Judge Tariq Anwar Kasi was hearing the Akbar Bugti murder case. During the hearing, Pervez Musharraf’s counsel submitted a petition praying his client’s exemption from appearance today on medical ground, which the court granted. However, the court asked the guarantors of former president to ensure Pervez Musharraf’s presence on the next hearing.
Musharraf, who has been indicted by a special court for treason, has been on bail in three other major cases dating to his time in power, including one relating to the 2006 assassination of Bugti during a military operation. This is the sixth time that the court has ordered for the former president's appearance in court, but he has remained absent from all hearings despite assurance provided by his guarantors.
Two of the co-accused in the case, former federal interior minister Aftab Sherpao and former provincial interior minister Shoaib Nausherwani also appeared in today’s hearing. Both submitted their requests for their acquittal from the Bugti case. The ATC issued notices to the relevant authorities. Bugti led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources. His murder sparked deadly nationwide protests and inflamed an armed insurgency that rose up in 2004. Musharraf, who led Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, returned from self-imposed exile in March last year to fight in general elections, but was barred from taking part and has faced a barrage of legal cases including treason.