Judicial custody for two police officers in Benazir killing case

Aziz’s lawyer Waheed Anjum told a news conference in Rawalpindi that Pakistan People’s Party leader Rehman Malik,who was Bhutto’s security advisor,had been alerted by Aziz about the risks associated with Bhutto appearing outside her bulletproof vehicle.

Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack when she opened an escape hatch in her armoured SUV to wave to a crowd that gathered around the vehicle as she was leaving an election rally on December 27,2007.

Many experts and even PPP leaders have contended that Bhutto would have survived the attack if she had not opened the escape hatch.

Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court rejected the Federal Investigation Agency’s request to extend the physical remand of former Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz and Superintendent of Police Khurram Shahzad,who were arrested for alleged negligence in providing security to Bhutto and for hosing down the crime scene within hours of the assassination.

The judge remanded the police officers to judicial custody for 14 days and sent them to Adiala Jail.

The court scheduled the next hearing of the case for January 12 and directed the FIA to present the accused in court on that date.

The court also issued a show-cause notice to a FIA investigator who had sought permission from the Interior Ministry to question some intelligence operatives in connection with the assassination,saying the judge wanted these persons to be interviewed.

The judge said he had given no instructions for questioning any intelligence operatives.

The court is also conducting the trial of five men linked to the Pakistani Taliban who have been accused of planning and facilitating the assassination.

Aziz’s lawyer Waheed Anjum told the media after the

hearing that the allegations levelled against his client were unfounded and baseless.

Anjum also claimed Bhutto’s assassination could have been prevented if her aides had followed the police officer’s instructions for her security.

Anjum said Aziz had directed police to hose down the crime scene only after all relevant evidence had been collected.

Aziz had informed Rehman Malik,who is now the Interior Minister,about possible threats to Bhutto in case she made an appearance through the escape hatch of her vehicle,Anjum said.

Aziz is being victimised even before the allegations against him have been proven,he said.

Anjum further said that Bhutto’s widower Asif Ali Zardari,and not the police,had issued instructions that no autopsy should be performed on her body.