Benazir Bhutto murder case verdict on Thursday

Islamabad: A Pakistani court is set to announce its verdict in the murder case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday after about a decade, officials said.

Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Asghar Ali Khan reserved the verdict on Wednesday after conducting day-to-day proceedings in the case, reports Dawn news.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry in his concluding arguments 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.

He claimed that General Musharraf, through his aide former director general of the National Crisis Management Cell retired Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, had disseminated the fake evidence to save himself.

Musharraf was accused of conspiring to to kill Bhutto because he perceived her a potential threat to his rule.

The ATC will announce the verdict with regard to five TTP suspects and two police officers, Dawn news reported.

It will then resume trial against Musharraf after his return to Pakistan.

Bhutto, Pakistan's 11th Prime Minister and Pakistan People's Party leader, was assassinated at a poll campaign rally on December 27, 2007.