Pakistan prosecutor in Bhutto case killed

QuestCinq.com/news/05/03/2013

Pakistan’s main government prosecutor on the Benazir Bhutto murder case has been shot dead in Islamabad, police said.

State prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali was shot multiple times by gunmen on Friday as he was driving to the next hearing in the murder case of the former prime minister, who was assassinated in 2007.

His bodyguard was also wounded in the attack and a woman killed when Zulfiqar lost control of his vehicle, police said.

The attack happened in broad daylight in a busy street in a middle class neighbourhood of the Pakistani capital.

Zulfiqar Ali was scheduled to appear in an anti-terrorism court in the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi on Friday, according to Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder in Islamabad. 

Hyder said that Zulfiqar Ali had recently requested additional security from the ministry of interior “because of the high profile case that he was investigating.”

“However, none of that was given and only one guard was riding with him,” Hyder said. 

Musharraf house arrest

On Tuesday, ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf was placed under a two-week house arrest over charges that he conspired to murder the former prime minister, who was at the time campaigning for election.

Musharraf’s government blamed the killing on Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who denied any involvement and was killed in a US drone attack in 2009.

Bhutto’s son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is chairman of the outgoing main ruling Pakistan People’s Party, has accused Musharraf of her murder.

In 2010, a UN report said Bhutto’s death could have been prevented and accused Musharraf’s government of failing to give her adequate protection.

Sourcr: Al Jazeera