BHC rejects Musharraf's bail plea in Bugti murder case
The court directed Musharraf to file another request in the anti-terrorism court (ATC).
QUETTA (Dunya News) - Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Tuesday rejected the bail application of former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the Akbar Bugti murder case.
A two-judge bench of the BHC comprising Justice Naeem Afghan and Justice Mustafa Mengal heard the petition.
The bench directed Musharraf to file another request in the anti-terrorism court (ATC).
Earlier on July 15, ATC Judge Muhammad Ismail Baloch had had directed police to produce Musharraf for the hearing of the murder case of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti on July 30.
Police presented initial charge sheets against Mr. Musharraf to the anti-terrorism court in southern-western city of Quetta, saying the former ruler could not be presented due to security threats.
Judge Muhammad Ismail Baloch accepted the charge sheet but rejected concerns about security and ordered police crime branch department to produce the accused on next hearing.
The former president has been accused of orchestrating murder of Bugti, the chief of his tribe, who was killed in military operation in 2006 when he was army chief and President of the country.
Musharraf has refused to accept the charge of murder saying that Bugti was not killed by the army but died after a mysterious exp0losion in the cave where he was hiding.
The blast reportedly occurred when a team of army officers invited to negotiate Bugti’s surrender entered the mountainous hideouts.
All of them were buried alive when the cave collapsed.
Former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has also been accused in the alleged murder.
Pervez Musharraf has been detained in his house near Islamabad since April. He faces several criminal cases including the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
He returned in March after about four years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai.
Musharraf assumed power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and resigned in 2008 after his supporters were defeated in elections.
