Musharraf indicted in murder case

File photo taken on April 15, 2013 shows Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf arrives for a press conference in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. A Pakistani special tribunal, which indicted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for high treason over 2007 imposition of emergency rule, on Monday rejected his request to allow him to go abroad for treatment. The government has barred Musharraf from going abroad by putting his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
File photo taken on April 15, 2013 shows Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf arrives for a press conference in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. A Pakistani special tribunal, which indicted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for high treason over 2007 imposition of emergency rule, on Monday rejected his request to allow him to go abroad for treatment. The government has barred Musharraf from going abroad by putting his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan’s Quetta city  indicted former president Pervez Musharraf in a case related to the murder of Balochistan leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in 2006, Dawn reported.

Despite the ATC’s repeated orders, the former military dictator did not appear in the court Wednesday.

In the court, Musharraf’s counsel Zeeshan Cheema submitted a medical report and requested an exemption from appearance for the former president. Counsel said Musharraf was undergoing back pain and therefore he would be unable to appear in the court.

Turning down the request, the court ordered the indictment of Musharraf, former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and former home minister of Balochistan Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani in the Baloch leader’s murder.

The court, however, said Musharraf would be granted exemption from appearance in the court only after the medical board would apprise it about the former army chief’s health.

The hearing of the case was subsequently adjourned to Feb 4.

Bugti was killed in August 2006 in an explosion in a cave where he had taken refuge during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf, who was then the country’s president and army chief.