NEW DELHI, April 23 (RAPSI, Alexpander Nevara) - Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has appeared before the Rawalpindi court for the first time over the murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the Geo News TV channel reported on Tuesday, quoting his lawyer Salman Safdar.

The case is being tried by a special anti-terrorist court that ordered Musharraf to appear in person. The next hearing is scheduled for May 3.

The court will consider his defense lawyers' petition to annul the court orders to seize Musharraf's property and to freeze his accounts. The former military ruler has been accused of plotting to kill Bhutto.

The trial was preceded by confrontations between Musharraf's supporters and his critics. The former president spent only 15 minutes in court before leaving with his attorney for his estate outside of Islamabad where he is staying under house arrest.

Last week, the Islamabad High Court ordered Musharraf to be placed under house arrest on charges of illegally arresting Supreme Court judges when he declared a state of emergency in 2007. Musharraf's estate was dubbed a "sub-jail."

Bhutto was assassinated in a bombing on Dec. 27, 2007 during a pre-election rally in Rawalpindi. The charges against Musharraf are based on the former city police chief's testimony who told the investigators that Bhutto's guards had been put off of alert on Musharraf's orders.