Musharraf’s supporters in global protests against arrest warrant in Benazir murder case

LAHORE - The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) will hold protest demonstrations across the country on Friday (today) over the arrest warrant issued against party leader and former president Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

APML Media Adviser Fawad Chaudhry made this announcement during a press conference, The Express Tribune reports.

The party will stage its protests nationwide as well as abroad in cities like London, New York and Toronto, where supporters will protest in front of Pakistani diplomatic missions there.

Last Saturday, a Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court had ordered the former military ruler, who is currently in a self-imposed exile in London, to appear for a hearing on February 19 in the Benazir assassination case.

Chaudhry said that all five investigations, which had so far been conducted into the matter, had concluded that Baitullah Mehsud, former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, was responsible for the killing of Benazir, who was targeted in a gun and bomb attack as she was leaving Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi after addressing a public rally on December 27, 2007.

Chaudhry also claimed that Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is investigating the case, had yet to submit any questionnaire to Musharraf or contact him in any way.

However, the FIA claims that it made repeated attempts to contact Musharraf, and requested the court to issue a warrant for his arrest only after it failed to get any response from him.

Meanwhile, Musharraf said in a TV interview on Thursday that his indictment in the trial was an attempt to browbeat him for political purposes, and pointed out that Benazir had been warned of threats to her life, and that her own party members had taken the responsibility for her safety.

“It is not the job of president to provide security to anyone,” Musharraf added. (ANI)