ISLAMABAD– Pakistan’s main government prosecutor on the Benazir Bhutto murder case, in which ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf is under house arrest, was shot dead in Islamabad on Friday, police said.
State prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar was shot multiple times by gunmen as he was driving to the next hearing in the murder case of the former prime minister, who was assassinated more than five years ago.
His bodyguard was also wounded in the attack and a woman killed when Zulfiqar lost control of his vehicle, police said.
“Chaudhry Zulfiqar was driving his car. He lost control and the car crushed a woman passer-by,” Yousuf told AFP.
“Zulfiqar was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”
Police said the gunmen fled on a motorbike.
The attack happened in broad daylight in a busy street in a middle class neighborhood.
The prosecutor had been on his way to appear before the anti-terrorism court hearing the Bhutto case in the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.
Nobody has ever been convicted or jailed for Bhutto’s December 2007 assassination.
Musharraf’s government blamed the killing on Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who denied any involvement and was killed in a US drone attack in 2009.
On Tuesday, Musharraf was placed under a two-week house arrest over charges that he conspired to murder the former prime minister, who was at the time campaigning for election.
Bhutto’s son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is chairman of the outgoing main ruling Pakistan People’s Party, has accused Musharraf of her murder.
In 2010 a UN report said Bhutto’s death could have been prevented and accused Musharraf’s government of failing to give her adequate protection.