Islamabad, Nov 2: The Balochistan High Court on Tuesday ordered the government to extradite former President Pervez Musharraf, former premier Shaukat Aziz and all others accused of involvement in the killing of Baloch nationalist Nawab Akbar Bugti.
A division bench of the Balochistan High Court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Essa passed the order and directed the Balochistan government to ensure that the investigation of Bugti's killing is done according to the law. Former Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and then Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao have agreed to cooperate in the investigation.
On October 28, Judicial Magistrate Faisal Hameed of Quetta had issued arrest warrants for Musharraf and Aziz for their alleged involvement in the killing of Bugti in 2006. The Crime Branch of Balochistan had earlier obtained an arrest warrant for former provincial home minister Shoaib Ahmed Nosherwani in the same case.
The Balochistan government had earlier this year requested federal authorities to extradite Musharraf, who is currently living in self-exile outside Pakistan. The federal government had asked for an arrest warrant, saying it was required by Interpol to issue a Red Corner notice.
Bugti was killed with over 30 supporters in a military operation in the mountainous Bhamboor Range on August 26, 2006.
Nawabzada Jamil Bugti, Bugti's eldest surviving son, had registered an FIR against Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Sherpao, Ghani, former Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousaf and Nosherwani.
He held them responsible for his father's murder. A separate arrest warrant for Musharraf has been issued by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi that is conducting the trial of several suspects accused of involvement in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in 2007.
