Musharraf, who was president at the time of former premier Bhutto's assassination in 2007, has been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and facilitation of murder. Photo: indiatimes.com

The trial of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on charges of being involved in the murder of Benazir Bhutto began on Tuesday. State prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar said the trial began in the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. Four witnesses were summoned but only one turned up to testify. Musharraf was not present in court as he was exempted from personal appearances because of security reasons. The former President has been charged with murder and abetting murder. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death or to life imprisonment. Seven other persons, including members of the Taliban and two senior police officials, have been indicted. Musharraf has denied the charges and promised to prove his innocence. He is currently being held at his farm house in a suburb of Islamabad.