RAWALPINDI: The five accused Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members in the Benazir Bhutto murder case were detained for another 90 days on Tuesday after their earlier 60-day detention was completed.

The accused militants were detained first for 30 days soon after being acquitted in the said case by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Aug 31 and the detention was extended for another 60 days on Sept 30 on the request of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

The five accused were driven to Lahore to appear before the Lahore High Court (LHC) amid tight security and will be moved back to Central Jail Adiala after appearing in court.

A senior official of the prison department confirmed that the accused men have been detained for another three months on the directive of the LHC.

The first detention of one month was issued by the Rawalpindi district administration under section 26 of the MPO on Sept 1, 2017 after they were acquitted by an ATC in the case pertaining to the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

On the same day, the CTD had informed the Rawalpindi district administration through a letter that releasing Sher Zaman, a resident of North Waziristan, will be prejudicial to public safety and maintenance of public order. It said the CTD apprehends that Sher Zaman will act in connivance with other members of the network and take part in terrorist activities in district Rawalpindi, thus endangering public lives and property.

The DC Rawalpindi had issued the detention order under section 26 of the MPO for the detention of the five suspects for a month and their custody was placed under the supervision of the superintendent of Central Jail Adiala. The detainees have the right to make a representation against their detentions before the additional chief secretary, Punjab Home Department, Lahore.

The ATC had convicted two senior police officers of “mishandling the crime scene” and for their role in having the site hosed down within two hours of the attack and sentenced them to 17 years in prison and fined them Rs1 million each. The five militants were acquitted for lack of evidence.

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a gun and mob attack after an election rally in Liaquat Bagh on Dec 27, 2007.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2017