RAWALPINDI, July 30: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Tuesday unfroze the assets of former president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The assets included a farmhouse in Chak Shahzad, a plot in Singhar Housing Colony, Gwadar, and 11 bank accounts. The ATC on June 13, 2011, had frozen the assets after declaring the former military ruler an absconder in the high-profile murder case.

The court also fixed August 6 for the indictment of Gen Musharraf in the murder case.

During the course of hearing on Tuesday, Ilyas Siddiqui, the counsel for Musharraf, told the court that his client was not a proclaimed offender as the FIA never served him any summon in an appropriate manner.

“The attachment of the assets after declaring Musharraf a proclaimed offender, therefore, could not be justified,” said the counsel. He added that the former president surrendered to the court in March 2013.

FIA special prosecutor Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry, on the other hand, opposed the release of Musharraf’s assets. He claimed that the FIA had served notices on the former president at his residence in Pakistan and abroad.

“His wife Sehba Musharraf was also well aware of the proclamation and she had challenged the court order for attachment of the property,” he added.

During the proceeding, Gen Musharraf, who appeared before the court in person, requested the ATC Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman that he wanted to say something. The judge, however, did not allow him to speak but assured him that the court would listen to him on the next date of hearing on August 6.

AFP adds: Indicting a former army chief would be an unprecedented move in a country ruled for more than half of its life by the military.

It would be seen by many as a far more serious challenge to the armed forces’ power than his house arrest was.

Prosecutor Azhar Chaudhry said: “The charges relating to criminal conspiracy and murder will be read out before Musharraf and he will have to sign the charge sheet, after which further trial will proceed.” Musharraf's lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri said the retired general would plead not guilty.

The Bhutto case is one in a series of court battles that Musharraf has faced over allegations dating back to his 1999-2008 rule since he returned in March from four years of self-imposed exile.

The new PML-N government has said Musharraf should stand trial for treason and it has appointed a committee to investigate the charges against him. The offence carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Musharraf is also wanted over the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti during a military operation in 2006.

On Tuesday, Musharraf's application for bail in the Bugti case was rejected by a court in Quetta and he was ordered to appear on August 19.