Quetta- An anti-terrorism court in Quetta today accepted the application of former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf with regards to exemption from appearance in court, in a case pertaining to the murder of former Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
ATC Judge Aftab Ahmed Lone heard the haring of the case. During the hearing, former interior minister Aftab Sherpao and former provincial home minister Mir Shoaib Nusherwani appeared before the court. However former president Pervez Musharraf once again did not appear.
During the hearing, the prosecution counsel said Pervez Musharraf files an exemption plea to pass the time. Pervez Musharraf has filed application to go to Saudi Arabia. If he can travel to Saudi Arabia why can’t he come to Quetta.
The court expressed anger over the performance of Director General Baluchistan Naseer Baloch, with regards to his slow progress on submitting Musharraf's medical report. On which DG Health Baluchistan said that a request has been sent for forming a medical board, for the medical exam of the accused.
The court reprimanded that the court received a letter from Sindh, got that one member has refused to become part of the board. The truth is you people have no contact with each other. Do not put the blame on one another and settle the matter by contacting each other.
On which the country remarked that 6 weeks time was given for formation of the board which is ample time. The DG Health sought 4 weeks more time, which was rejected by the court. However it approved the one day exemption plea of Pervez Musharraf. It subsequently adjourned the hearing of the case to Feb 25.
Advocate Sohail Rajput, counsel of Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, confronted Musharraf's lawyer Akhtar Shah outside the court and said that the latter was ready to fly to Saudi Arabia which required travelling for four hours, but he was reluctant to travel for one hour to arrive in Quetta.
"Musharraf is deliberately not appearing in the court," Rajput said. Musharraf's counsel told reporters that his client respects the court and wanted to appear before it, but he couldn't due to security concerns.
Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who also appeared in court today, spoke to media representatives after the hearing and said that the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) was important for ensuring peace in the country.