QUETTA, Nov 1: Disposing of a petition, the Balochistan High Court on Tuesday ordered the execution of the arrest warrants issued by a judicial magistrate for former president Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in the Akbar Bugti murder case.

It also ordered the extradition of the accused in the case.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Issa and Justice Abdul Qadir Mengal directed the provincial government to accelerate the investigation process in accordance with the law. The petition was filed by Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti. The court also directed the investigation team to submit a challan against the accused in the court.

An officer of the Crimes Branch presented arrest warrants for former president Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz before the court.

The judicial magistrate had earlier issued the arrest warrant of MPA Mir Shoaib Nausherwani. The officer of the Crimes Branch further informed the court that former governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and former federal minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao had assured the investigation team that they were ready to appear before any competent court in connection with the case.

The chief justice asked Deputy Attorney General Malik Sikandar Khan whether any step had been taken to bring back the former president and the former prime minister to face trial, the DAG responded that he would contact the federal government in this regard.The court asked the provincial government to present minutes of the former provincial cabinet meeting if it related to the decision about military action against late Mr Bugti.

The investigation team presented a letter written by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz denying any role in the killing of Nawab Bugti and claiming he had learnt the news of Nawab Bugti’s death from a television channel. The Chief Justice said that all officials, including civil and military, having any information about the murder should also be included in the investigation.

The counsel for petitioner submitted that police did not arrest Mir Shoaib Nausherwani whose arrest warrant had been obtained from court when he cast his vote in the Balochistan assembly building as an MPA in recent election of a Senate’s vacant seat.