Musharraf's mouthpiece rejects report

ISLAMABAD Rashid Qureshi, former DG ISPR and spokesman of former president Pervez Musharraf, has rejected the UN report that has held Musharraf-led government responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. On Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar warmly welcomed the fact-finding report of the UN and said former government (Pervez Musharraf-led government) had failed to provide security to Benazir that had led to her assassination. However, Rashid Qureshi rejected the allegations levelled against Musharraf-led government. How could you blame Musharraf-led government for assassination of Benazir when the country was under the supervision of an interim government at the time of Liaqat Bagh tragedy, Rashid told this correspondent on Friday evening. He pointed out that UN Commission should hold the interim-government responsible for Liaqat Bagh tragedy rather than pointing finger at Pervez Musharraf. He termed the UN report as baseless. He asserted that investigators had collected as many as 27 evidences that might help investigators unearth hidden hands behind assassination of a high profile personality. He disclosed that according to investigation reports compiled after the assassination of Benazir, there was no mark of hitting a bullet in her head. He further pointed out that according to investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies Baitullah Mehsud was reported to be accomplice in assassination of Benazir. The 65-page investigation report claimed on Friday that the investigators have traced a possible link between Benazir Bhuttos independent positions on improved relations with India with its implications for the Kashmir dispute. There has been mix response from different political parties after the publication of the report. Promptly responding to UN reports findings, supporters of former president Pervez Musharraf have rejected the allegation rather said the interim government was responsible for brutal killing of the 54-year-old Bhutto in a gun and suicide attack outside a park in Rawalpindi in December 2007. They argued that PPPs internal security committee was equally responsible for this mishap. Bhuttos assassination could have been prevented had the PPPs security chief feels its responsibility, they said. Unable to pinpoint who killed Bhutto, the UN panel said in the report that Benazirs assassination was shrouded in mystery and recommended the setting up of a truth commission to find who murdered Pakistans first woman prime minister. On Friday, some of the members of PPP said the Government should hold another inquiry into assassination of its slain leader. They further said the Government should get lodge an FIR against Pervez Musharraf for not providing security to BB. When contacted, central leader of PPP Nabeel Gabool said they might think of lodging an FIR against Musharraf. It is pertinent to mention here that on December 30, 2009, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani while rejecting the notion of having a deal with former president had said the Government would act if the court of law ordered it to bring back Musharraf. However, most of the countrymen think the mystery of BBs assassination will never be solved. They cited the case of Pakistans first prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan, who was shot dead by a lone assassin on 16 October 1951 on the same location where Ms Bhutto was killed. They also cited the example of president General Ziaul Haq who was killed in a plane crash.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt