ATC indicts Musharraf in Akbar Bugti murder case

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

QUETTA: An anti terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta on Wednesday indicted former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in a case pertaining to the murder of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, son of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, had nominated the former president and other high-ups in the murder of his father. The Balochistan High Court had already issued arrest warrants of the accused persons.

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

Zeeshan Cheema, lawyer of the former president, informed the court today that his client was suffering from an illness and therefore he could not appear in the court.

The judge said that only a medical board can confirm whether Musharraf is suffering from any illness.

Read: ATC orders Musharraf to appear in Bugti murder case

Sohail Rajput, lawyer of Jamil Bugti, contended that the former president was regularly giving interviews to different TV channels.

Cheema requested the court to accept the exemption application of the former president.

Rejecting 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 murder of the Baloch leader.

The hearing of the case was subsequently adjourned till Feb 4. The judge moreover said that the case would be heard on a daily basis from Feb 4 onward.

Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan 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 president and army chief at the time.

Bugti had led an armed campaign to press for provincial autonomy and a greater share of profits from Balochistan’s natural resources.

The death of the Baloch chieftain had sparked angry protests in parts of the country.

Musharraf has been staying with his daughter in Karachi where he travelled for tests at a navy-run hospital in April last year and the indictment took place in his absence.

He is on bail in four other major cases linked to his time in power including the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto in a gun and suicide attack.

Pakistan

Syed Ali Shah is DawnNews' Quetta bureau chief.

He tweets @alishahjourno

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karachi Wally

Jan 14, 2015 12:13pm

All are bored with this continuous stretch of Musharraf's story. For sake of this nation please bury this tale and move on.

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rana

Jan 14, 2015 12:15pm

trying the wrong guy for the right action

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Euro

Jan 14, 2015 12:20pm

Who will indict Akbar Bugti for his suiside and possession of illegal armes which killed an officer of the Pakistan Armed Forces?

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goldconsumer

Jan 14, 2015 12:21pm

May be late Mr. Bhutto should also be tried. He was the first one to bomb Bugti and Co.

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Hope

Jan 14, 2015 12:25pm

so this means that any one can be a rebel, provided that he is a politician.

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farhad

Jan 14, 2015 12:32pm

wow .......... he can sit in the interviews and live TV tid-bids... but he cannot attend the court hearing, judiciary show some courage ............ you don't have that like your PM. no wonder Military Courts were formed.

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Ali Hassan

Jan 14, 2015 12:42pm

What kind of a country is this where Terrorists are ACQUITTED but a Former PRESIDENT is INDICTED.

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SAB

Jan 14, 2015 12:43pm

Should this case be sent to military courts!!!

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khanm

Jan 14, 2015 12:46pm

it is nothing but the vengeance of our political system... Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged. what is new...

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Sunil

Jan 14, 2015 12:48pm

His hands are even soaked with Benazir Bhuttos blood, the man who lied about the Kargil, forcibly became the President of Pakistan, hijacked the judiciary.

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Concern1

Jan 14, 2015 12:49pm

ONLY IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE A PATRIOT IS MADE A TERRORIST, & A TERRORIST INTO A PATRIOT KAMAL HAI BHAI

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Yousuf

Jan 14, 2015 12:49pm

Can someone put a case of Mr Bugti who killed many innocent Pakistanis including Armed Forces Personnel?. Why courts are wasting time.

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Sunil

Jan 14, 2015 12:50pm

If it was another country, Pervez Musharraf would have been in jail for the treason, charged with Kargil operation.

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Kamal Pasha

Jan 14, 2015 12:50pm

Nawaz Sharif should be ashamed of his actions. Let this honest and patriotic General live a free life and withdraw all these bogus cases against him.

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Jude Allen

Jan 14, 2015 12:55pm

ok so let me get this right.... You have indicted a ex armed forces member because he killed a TERRORIST? ok... sounds so ......"intelligent"........

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Jan 14, 2015 12:59pm

One unknown number call will re-remind all the law and justice to this judge.. Waste of time and money.

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weq

Jan 14, 2015 01:03pm

Govt. and Military are working against each other, its clear enough with facts. Thos attempted murder of Musharraf are hanged to death, and Musharraf is being trialed by ATC. This tells us much about whats going on under the hood.

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AJamal

Jan 14, 2015 01:21pm

On this performance, there should be indictment for killing attackers of APS Peshawar, Karachi Airport, etc.

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Akhtar

Jan 14, 2015 01:22pm

Musharaff did the right thing. He got rid of a terrorist. Bugti family should accept the fact that their actions and intimidation of the people led to the death of the terrorist.

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KHAN

Jan 14, 2015 01:24pm

This is a waste of time, let the Mr. Musharraf leave, if the courts wants to try him, what about BB's case. Gen. is a real hero of Pakistan.

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Human

Jan 14, 2015 01:29pm

IF you sample 5000 common countrymen and ask them to about "patriots" and "terrorists" you would not get and answer with statistical significance. This is the problem of the country. For some Bugti is a nationalist and Prevez a terrorist and vice-versa.

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Rashid Sultan

Jan 14, 2015 01:31pm

Justice delayed is justice denied. It is for the courts to decide who is innocent or guilty. Expressions of nationalistic fervour and gung-ho media interview statements does not absolve a person from criminal acts. If the ex general & president is proven to be guilty and complicit in murder then he must be tried and punished. Let the punishment fit the crime.

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Time and Again

Jan 14, 2015 01:32pm

Long live the legend of Gen Musharraf. He was right all the way through. Look at Lal Masjid for which he was castigated after which the job remained unfinished. Now we are all spineless to finish off what he wanted to do.

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Rashid Sultan

Jan 14, 2015 01:34pm

@Jude Allen Often said: One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. And complicity in murder is a crime no matter what the murder's credentials are.

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ashok kumar lal

Jan 14, 2015 01:36pm

had military court tried Musharraf, he would have been hung long ago.But judge should not have been told they are trying a military man.

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Baba singh

Jan 14, 2015 01:38pm

What a shameful day when a die hard patriot is indicted for confronting a terrorist.

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Asif kamil

Jan 14, 2015 01:47pm

@Sunil . This is what you think Sunil. We being Pakistani think quite different of General Musshraf . We all like him actually!

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Jan 14, 2015 01:54pm

This is the reward one gets for trying to rid the nation of a person bent upon breaking up the country. Instead of being grateful to Musharraf for doing his duty - he was sworn to uphold the territorial integrity of Pakistan - an ungrateful nation remains entirely indifferent to this huge miscarriage of justice.

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jay patel

Jan 14, 2015 01:55pm

Previous general's hands are colored by blood of thousands of innocent Indians as a result of his terrorist support and Kargil war. We would never forgive him for his sin. With his sins he also dragged his country men in today's pathetic situation where terrorist who nurtured these elements.

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pak47

Jan 14, 2015 01:55pm

This is important. If justice is served then Balochistan will be calm.

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Abdul Hamid

Jan 14, 2015 01:57pm

Musharraf has more wrong doings than right during his dictatorship. He did nothing for Pakistan, no development. The worst of all he has funded Taliban as an agent of US and now Taliban are killing us. Role of Musharraf need to be investigated in detail. he can't escape from his crimes just because he was a military ruler. Today, Musharraf is a burden to Pakistan.

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Gaurav Arya

Jan 14, 2015 02:04pm

@Abdul Hamid - Make up your mind. You are saying Musharraf funded Taliban. Some Pakistanis say the India is funding Taliban. Why so much funds are required?

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Jan 14, 2015 02:13pm

Our judiciary is only powerful for the civilians. They can send a PM home but they cannot ask an ex-army officer to appear in the court. Talking of justice

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Muhib

Jan 14, 2015 02:14pm

Finally correct decision....

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muhammad

Jan 14, 2015 02:18pm

What a sheer nonsense

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Jan 14, 2015 02:20pm

The guy who keeps threatening India over TV every other day doesn't even have guts to attend the court. No wonder people of India laugh at his threats. This guy used F-16 to bomb the place where 80 year old Mr. Bugti who couldn't even walk properly was taking shelter. And he calls himself powerful. Justice should be done to Bugti's family.

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Jason

Jan 14, 2015 02:30pm

Pakistans worst enemy are its own leaders since 1947!

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Abdul

Jan 14, 2015 02:33pm

@jay patel that's why Indian media love him so much and keep inviting him for interviews?! The man is a hero and treats India with due respect.

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Abdul

Jan 14, 2015 02:38pm

@GT 80 year old or not he was a criminal. Musharraf was a just man and never did anything off the cuff. All his actions to date have proven to be right. If we had people like him serving the country through out its history, Pakistan will be different place to what it is today. Long live Musharraf.

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Sunil

Jan 14, 2015 02:46pm

@Asif kamil Who is we? Say you like him. Soldiers defend their country, with valor and pride, Musharraf did the opposite.

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muhammad

Jan 14, 2015 02:48pm

This happens only in Pakistan where traitors are treated like heroes and loyal people are prosecuted. Please remember Akbar Bugti raised the arms against the State of Pakistan his so-called freedom fighters killed many loyal Pakistanis and blown away public installations like railways tracks, electrical pylons etc. On the other hand people like Mullah Abdul Aziz openly challenging the constitution of Pakistan and supporting terrorists and no government or court has guts to bring to him justice

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Nisi

Jan 14, 2015 02:54pm

@Kamal Pasha honest and patriot? He committed reason n handed over country's airbases to USA free of cost killed thousands innocents civilian you called him patriot then?

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SRKA

Jan 14, 2015 02:56pm

General Raheel should be very careful now. There is quite possibility that he will be charged and may be hanged for killing those terrorists who are killing our innocent children and playing football with the heads of our army jawans and bombing our mosques killing innocent men, women and children who goes there for only for prayers.

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Jan 14, 2015 03:02pm

@Abdul: Bugti could have been easily taken in alive. But he was brutally killed. If he was such a dreaded criminal, why leaders from so many political parties like PPP, MQM etc expressed their condolences at his death and criticized musharraf severly for his reckless action? This action of his caused deep fissures between Balochistan and pakistan. The same adventurism he tried in Kargil and failed big time. He is irresponsible. He should be made accountable for all his misdeeds.

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gaz

Jan 14, 2015 03:02pm

This is why the judicery never gets anything done. It's busy in pointless poltical games.

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Babay

Jan 14, 2015 03:11pm

@Sunil Be in your limit don't be so rash against the brave and brilliant soldier.

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Hisham

Jan 14, 2015 03:15pm

@GT I pray that the security around you gets worse and no army helps you out. This is the only way your misjudgment will be rectified. What actions Musharraf took were always in the favor of Pakistan rather than one community which is following and worshipped by other political parties. If you are brave enough than kindly join army and think as they think

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Sunil

Jan 14, 2015 03:43pm

@Babay Truth is bitter, that is why India did not have dictators, call professionalism.

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Sunil

Jan 14, 2015 03:50pm

Army's professionalism, is to take and follow the orders from President and PM, but Pervez Musharraf who was elevated to the post of army chief by none other than Nawaz Sharif, who was toppled, deposed, and became self styled President.

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Manu

Jan 14, 2015 04:05pm

Truly, Mushharraf is specialist

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hammad

Jan 14, 2015 04:37pm

@Nisi He did not kill thousands of people. The TTP did. Get ur facts correct

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muhammad

Jan 14, 2015 04:43pm

@Sh Musharraf appeared in all courts please correct your facts

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Abdul

Jan 14, 2015 05:20pm

@Sunil and for that matter a good, honest and exemplary president.

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Zaheer

Jan 14, 2015 05:32pm

Mr. Ex. President of Pakistan, no need to apear in court. We are with you. I assure you, as a common man, no one can do any thing wrong with you. I promise you. Be brave and ignore .

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uzair

Jan 14, 2015 06:47pm

@Ali Hassan nobody should be acquitted including the former president, the in competency of our law and order procedures does not give the excuse to let musharraf walk away for his crimes against Pakistan.

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Agha

Jan 14, 2015 08:15pm

@Zaheer No one is above the law. Read before you write.

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Awais Ali

Jan 14, 2015 09:02pm

If he is culprit then it should be punished no matter who is he

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Syed Ahmed

Jan 14, 2015 10:37pm

@Ali Hassan I agree. The case of Sharif brothers is lying dormant. They should also be tried for massacre done in Model Town Lahore on June 17, 2014 in broad daylight.

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Azam Chowdhry

Jan 14, 2015 11:40pm

This case must be dismissed. It is a joke.

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A. Mangal

Jan 15, 2015 10:06am

And the wild goose chase continues! ATC will never ever learn who was the real criminal? The case ought be the State vs Bugti tried posthumously at military tribunal now.

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zahid

Jan 15, 2015 12:04pm

@Kamal Pasha Mr. Kama, remember that he is in custody prior to this govt under serious charges and should not be quitted at all.

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Azmeen

Jan 15, 2015 12:10pm

@Asif kamil No really.

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