Bhutto given jail sentence

Ms Bhutto has been living in self-imposed exile since 1999

By Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad

An anti-corruption court in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi has sentenced former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to a three-year jail term on the charge of absconding from the process of justice.

Ms Bhutto, who has been living abroad in self-imposed exile, was convicted under a special anti-corruption law introduced by the military government.

The law explicitly states that if a person deliberately avoids appearance in a corruption case, he or she can be declared an absconder and sentenced to serve a maximum period of three years in jail.

General Musharraf introduced the law

Handing down his decision, the special court's judge said that several notices had been issued for Ms Bhutto to appear in connection with a corruption case, but she had failed to do so.

The judge said it was clear the former prime minister had been avoiding appearing in the case and was thus guilty of subverting the proceedings.

The court accepted the prosecution's request to sentence her to the maximum three years' rigorous jail term.

Possible extradition

The judge further said in his order that, since Ms Bhutto was not present before the court, a perpetual warrant of arrest should be issued.

Legal experts say this might give the authorities the legal basis to approach a foreign government to seek her arrest and extradition.

Earlier this year, Pakistan's Supreme Court had set aside a lower court's judgement against Ms Bhutto in a corruption case and ordered a retrial.

But the military authorities soon filed several more cases of corruption against her.

The latest court verdict does not mean that Ms Bhutto has been found guilty of corruption. But after being sentenced to a long jail term, she might have to further delay her return to the country.