Benazir murder case: LHC bench to hear appeal of convicted police officials

RAWALPINDI (NNI): A divisional bench of the Lahore High Court will hear the appeal of two former police officials who were awarded prison sentence of 17 years each in murder case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

During the hearing before Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court it was decided the police officials’ appeals will be heard on September 11.

The divisional bench will comprise Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Justice Habibullah Amir.

The appeals were filed by former city police officer Saud Aziz and former superintendent of police Khurram Shahzad, after an anti-terrorism court awarded each a 17-year prison sentence.

The anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi issued on August 31 the detailed verdict in Benazir’s murder case, holding the two police officials guilty of ‘criminal negligence’ and declaring then-military dictator Pervez Musharraf a fugitive.

Benazir, Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson and two-time former prime minister, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack at an election campaign rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007.