Pakistan ex-ISI official refuses to testify in Benazir Bhutto murder case

Islamabad: A key witness and former official of Pakistan's ISI has refused to testify against Pakistani Taliban suspects being tried in the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, citing threat to his life.

Two-time premier Bhutto was killed in a bombing and shooting incident in Rawalpindi and the then government claimed to have intercepted telephonic conversation which showed that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for her death.

Ex-telephone operator of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) excused himself from testifying before the court on Monday, saying his life is in danger as he lives in Karak district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which is close to the restive tribal areas, the Dawn reported today.

Consequently, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) discarded his earlier statement that he recorded before the team investigating the murder case in which he had confirmed that he intercepted the communication between the suspects and TTP terrorists.

Five suspects - Aitzaz Shah, Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gul, Sher Zaman and Abdul Rashid - are facing trial in the case.

Former president Pervez Musharraf, former city police officer Rawalpindi Saud Aziz and former SP Khurram Shahzad were also accused in the case.

Besides the refusal of former operator of ISI, another witness, US journalist Mark Seigel, could not testify before the court.

However, the prosecution had informed the court that Seigel could record his statement through video link.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor told the court that interior secretary was in contact with the Foreign Office and officials of the Pakistan embassy in the US to contact Seigal and arrange video link facility for him in the embassy.

It is believed that Seigal had some vital information as Bhutto had sent him an email before his death about danger to her life.