Musharraf seeks retrial in Benazir killing case

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, an accused in the 2007 Benazir Bhutto assassination case, has sought a retrial arguing that the statements of witnesses were recorded while he was abroad.

Presenting his case in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi yesterday, the former military ruler's lawyer Ilyas Siddiqi urged the court to re-record the statements of the witnesses.

"Musharraf was abroad when the statements were recorded. It is his legal right that statements of the witnesses be recorded in front of him," he said.

70-year-old Musharraf was charged last month with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and facilitation of the murder of two-time former premier Bhutto along with seven other co-accused.

If convicted, Musharraf can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

This is the first time a former military ruler or an army chief has been indicted in a murder case in Pakistan, which has been ruled by the military for most of its 66-year history.

Musharraf is currently being held at his farmhouse in Islamabad, which has been declared a "sub-jail". He was arrested shortly after he returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March this year to participate in general elections.

However, he was barred by a Pakistani court from contesting polls for the rest of his life.

The former general is also facing charges in other cases, including the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a military operation in 2006 and for taking unconstitutional steps by imposing emergency and removing judges in 2007.

However, Malik Muhammad Rafiq - the lawyer representing former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Saud Aziz and Superintendent of Police (SP) Khurram Shehzad, objected to Musharraf's plea for a retrial saying that it would further delay the case.

Rafiq also objected to Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) General Secretary Latif Khosa's application to become a party to the case.

"Why did they (the PPP) not become a party when they were in power?", Rafiq asked.