ISLAMABAD - Former Interior Minister Rehman Malik yesterday urged the government to make a request to Interpol through the Federal Investigation Agency to issue Red Notices against accused Ikramullah – involved in former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination to be deported to Pakistan from Afghanistan.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Interior, Senator A. Rehman Malik demanded that the Interpol must be requested to deport Ikramullah, a surviving suicide bomber involved in the assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto currently taking shelter in Paktia province of Afghanistan.
He made the letter public here at a news conference, wherein he said that the earlier investigation conducted by a joint investigation team had concluded that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and al-Qaeda had carried out the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and then TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud and his associates had planned the attack at Miranshah, North Waziristan Agency.
He said that according to earlier investigations conducted by the FIA, two suicide bombers — Bilal alias Saeed, and Ikramullah — had been sent by Mehsud to assassinate Benazir Bhutto.
Bilal blew himself up at Liaquat Bagh, resulting in the death of Benazir Bhutto, while Ikramullah escaped from the scene. He added that Ikramullah was currently based in the area of Paktia, which falls under the control of Afghanistan.
Senator Rehman Malik said that the copy of the said investigation report by JIT is available with Ministry of Interior and the prosecution branch of the FIA, Headquarters.
He writes “per the said investigation, two suicide bombers provided by Baitullah Mehsud were identified as Bilal alias Saeed who blew himself in Liaquat Bagh resulting in death of Benazir Bhutto, whereas Ikramullah, the second suicide bomber escaped from the scene and his whereabouts have lately been re-emerged in Afghanistan and reportedly he is presently in the area of Paktia, a province of Afghanistan.”
In his letter, Rehman Malik has also referred to his earlier correspondence that a letter, he had written to then Minister of Interior on December 30th, 2018 and the copy was forwarded to then Secretary Interior with the request to demand from the Government of Afghanistan to deport Ikramullah to Pakistan.
He stressed that deportation of Ikramullah from Afghanistan to Pakistan was of great importance and further facts regarding the Benazir Bhutto’s assassination would be revealed during interrogation.
He added that bringing back of Ikramullah will enable the investigating authorities and courts to record his statement who is the prime witness and could not only confirm the previous findings but can also attribute additional evidence/statements strengthening the case.
It will help to uncover some hidden aspects of the investigations, he said. He urged the Secretary Interior to make a request to Interpol through FIA to issue Red Notices against accused Ikramullah to be deported to Pakistan. Senator A. Rehman Malik strongly condemned the killing of 13 coal miners identified as Shia Hazara in Mach area of Balochistan and expressed heartfelt condolences with families of martyrs and whole Hazara community.
He termed it as a highly barbaric act of terrorism wherein the poor miners were abducted and slaughtered mercilessly. He expressed that he was deeply saddened by the martyrdom of innocent people.
He demanded the government to investigate into this heinous act of terrorism and unearth the conspirators involved. He said that attack on Hazara community is an attack on Pakistan and a conspiracy of the enemy to create sectarian riots in the country. He appealed both Shia and Sunnis not to fall into the traps of the enemy and stay united as enemy wants us divided.
He said that upcoming weeks are highly sensitive and critical for Pakistan as the enemy is trying to destabilize the country on the basis of political, ethnic and sectarianism differences.
He urged the Prime Minister to act wisely and play due role being the Chief Executive of the country. Senator A. Rehman Malik said that with reference to his earlier letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan dated December 15th, 2020, on Sunday once again he has written another letter to him as soft reminder to request the Secretary General, Interpol to constitute a Police Commission to investigate the Indian violations of sovereignty of Pakistan through hybrid/cybercrime using soil of several countries including EU as unearthed by Disinfolab.
He has requested Prime Minister Imran Khan once again to take up the revelation of Disinfolab with United Nations and Interpol.