Black box of Musharraf’s plane to be used as proof

The black box of flight PK-805 was removed by the military authorities immediately after it landed at Karachi airport, the daily said.

The aircraft was ordered to circle over Karachi for nearly 45 minutes as the control tower was allegedly told by Sharif to prevent it from landing even though it was running low on fuel, thereby endangering the lives of all on board, including Gen Musharraf.

The newspaper said in the light of recorded evidence against the accused, the prosecution has no dearth of "fool proof" witnesses in the case being heard by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi.

On Wednesday, a prosecution witness told a judicial magistrate’s court that Sharif’s adviser on Sindh affairs Ghaus Ali Shah had ordered the police to take control of Karachi airport, but a senior police official on duty refused to do so.

The witness, Rukhsar Ahmed, personal security officer to Shah in his deposition said the adviser told IGP Sindh, "`You can take over control of the airport’ and the same words were repeated to DIG Akbar Arain and SSP of east Karachi, who came to the VVIP lounge of the airport on October 12."

Recording of statements by witnesses is now in the final stage and as per the directive of the anti-terrorism court the prosecution is set to file the chargesheet against the accused on December 4.

Besides Sharif and Shah, the other accused are Sharif’s younger brother and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, former IGP of Sindh Rana Maqbool, former PIA chairman Khaqan Abbasi and Sharif’s former principal secretary Saeed Mehdi.

Former director general of Civil Aviation Authority Ameenullah Choudhury has turned approver and is considered a star witness. All the accused are in judicial custody in Karachi’s Landhi jail.