Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Attempt on president: PAF official gets five years
By Akhtar Amin
PESHAWAR: A low-ranking technician of the Pakistan Air Force has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for his involvement in an assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf.
Mohammad Niaz was accused of involvement in the assassination attempt on President Musharraf in Rawalpindi at the Jhanda Cheechi Bridge on December 11,2003, which left 15 people dead.
Talking to Daily Times, Neelum A Khan, the counsel for Niaz, said that he (Niaz) was charged under Section 37 E of the Military Act. She said that she had appeared as a private counsel. "I argued the case and the PAF officer was sentenced to five years imprisonment instead of being awarded the death penalty," she said. However, she refused to give more information citing sensitive nature of the case.
In 2005, Musharraf himself confirmed the involvement of junior rank officials in assassination attempts on him.
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