Pervez Musharraf indicted over Benazir Bhutto murder

Pakistan's former military ruler makes brief court appearance and denies involvement in assassination of ex-PM

Pervez Musharraf at his Rawalpindi home in April.
Pervez Musharraf at his Rawalpindi home in April. He is being charged over the murder of Benazir Bhutto. Photograph: T Mughal/EPA

A court in Pakistan has formally indicted Pervez Musharraf over the murder of Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

"He should be tried," the public prosecutor, Mohammad Azhar, told reporters after a brief hearing in the city of Rawalpindi during which the three charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and facilitation of murder were read out to Musharraf.

The indictment of the army chief who seized power in a 1999 coup is an unprecedented event shattering an unwritten rule that Pakistan top generals are untouchable. Under the prime ministership of Nawaz Sharif the country has been trying to shake off the legacy of decades of military rule.

Musharraf, who made no public remarks during his appearance, denied all the charges against him, a lawyer from his defence team said. Journalists were not allowed in the court room for the hearing which lasted about 20 minutes.

"All the cases against Musharraf are fabricated. He denied all the charges," said Afshan Adil, the lawyer. The next hearing was set for 27 August.

Hundreds of police were deployed along the main road leading to the court as well as on rooftops as Musharraf's car arrived.

Former prime minister Bhutto returned from self-imposed exile to run for office but was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack within weeks. The government at the time blamed the Pakistani Taliban. Musharraf, who was still in power, has said he warned Bhutto of the danger she faced.

On 6 August the court delayed a widely expected indictment because threats to Musharraf's life made it too dangerous for him to attend proceedings.

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