Benazir Bhutto murder trial: Former Pak President Pervez Musharraf declared absconder, 2 others found guilty

On Thursday, an Anti-Terrorism court awarded 17 years imprisonment for former Director Inspector General Saud Aziz and SP Khurram Shehzad for their role in the murder of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has been declared an absconder, while five others have been acquitted in the case.

According to Daily Pakistan, The court also imposed a fine of  5,00,000 Pakistan rupees each on both convicts. The police have arrested the former DIG from premises of the court.

Bhutto, a two-time prime minister, was killed in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. She was 54.

The case was registered soon after the assassination and the trial went through many ups and down until concluded yesterday in Rawalpindi.

Judge Asghar Khan announced the verdict in court, where former Rawalpindi CPO Saud Aziz and former Rawal Town SP Khurram Shahzad suspects out on bail were also present.

Aziz and Shahzad were sentenced to 17 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh each.

While five other accused have been acquitted, former president Musharraf has been declared a proclaimed offender, with an order to seize his property

Chaudhry in his concluding arguments had disowned prosecution evidence of audio record and transcript of telephonic conversation of the former chief of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with a cleric in which he had congratulated five terrorists on carrying out the successful attack on Bhutto.

Chaudhry termed it a "fake story" fabricated by former President retired General Pervez Musharraf to mislead the investigators.