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Pakistani court bails out police officers in Benazir murder

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, April 6, IRNA -- A court in Pakistan on Tuesday ordered release of two detained senior police officers accused of negligence in the 2007 killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Rawalpindi's former police Chief Saud Aziz and another top official, Khurram Shahzad, were detained in December after being denied bail.

The police officer had denied any negligence to protect Ms Bhutto, who was killed in firing and suicide bomb attack shortly after she addressed an election rally at Rawalpindi.

Investigators were of the opinion that the police officers were also responsible for the hosing down of the crime scene, thereby destroying key evidence.

The Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry, ordered bail to the two police officers after hearing their defence lawyer who argued that there are no evidences to prove any involvement of the two men in Benazir’s murder.

Prosecutor opposed bail to the former police officers and said that both had not performed their duties and failed to provide proper security to Benazir Bhutto.

The court while issuing release order asked the police officers to submit their passports in the court so they could not go out of the country until the trial court gives verdict in the case.

A UN report released in April said the killing could have been prevented.

The report accused Pakistani authorities of severely hampering the investigation and said no credible inquiry should rule out the possibility of involvement of members of the country's military and security establishment.

The UN inquiry also criticised the decision to hose down the crime scene, and said the failure to collect and preserve evidence 'inflicted irreparable damage to the investigation'.

Five suspected militants are already facing trial for alleged involvement in Ms Bhutto's murder.

A Pakistani government investigation blamed the then top leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud. He denied being involved in the assassination and was killed in a suspected US missile attack in August 2009.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30324805