Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf on Thursday alleged Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and his successor in Presidency Asif Ali Zardari of complicity in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on the pretext that Mr. Zardari gained most out of his wife’s death.
General Musharraf posted a video on the Facebook page of his political party, All Pakistan Muslim League, and said Asif Zardari has named him recently as the main accused in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. “Therefore I am responding to his allegation. I want to tell this to the children of Benazir Bhutto- Bilawal Bhutto, Bakhtawar Bhutto and Asifa Bhutto and the people of Sindh that Asif Ali Zardari is responsible for the Bhutto and her brother Murtaza’s assassination because he had everything to gain from the assassination. This is my analysis that he gained the most out of it," he said.
Two-time prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007 in a terrorist attack. Her brother Murtaza Bhutto was assassinated during the second government of Benazir Bhutto on September 20, 1996 in Karachi in a police encounter.
Mr. Zardari went on to become the President after her death from 2008-2013 and took over the reign of PPP.
Shrouded in mystery
A United Nations-mandated investigations by Scotland Yard remained inconclusive on Benazir Bhutto’s murder.
An anti-terrorism court last week had exonerated five alleged terrorists involved in her murder. But the authorities have not released them and the PPP has filed an appeal against the verdict. Two senior police officials were convicted and sentenced to 17 years each for destroying the evidence by ordering to hastily washing the crime scene.
General Musharraf had been declared an absconder for not appearing before the court.
The PPP challenged the decision in Lahore High Court and called for summoning General Musharraf to record his statement.
Zardari’s contention
On Tuesday, Mr. Zardari at a party meet accused General Musharraf of being the main accused in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination that prompted an angry reply from Gen Musharraf.
“I was the most to lose from her assassination. The allegations leveled against me are failing to provide her adequate security but I was not responsible directly for her security. Evidence is there that former Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud planned and carried out her assassination. Now we have to see who was behind Baitullah Mehsud. Someone used Baitullah Mehsud to kill her. Since Baitullah Mehsud was also against me so I have nothing to do with this. Baitullah even planned assassination attempts against me,” he said.
Her missing phone
General Musharraf further questioned as to why Benazir Bhutto’s phone was not found for over two years after the assassination attempt. “Who forced her to come out of the sun roof of the vehicle? Naheed Khan [Benazir Bhutto’s political secretary], PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem and security in-charge Khalid Shehenshah were all in the car but the court never even summoned these people to record their statements,” he said.
General Musharraf said then the security in-charge was murdered. “Who is capable of eliminating him? The answer is Asif Ali Zardari," he alleged.
PPP dismissed the allegations of Gen Musarraf terming it an attempt to cover his own involvement. “This video statement is admission by the Dictator that he was involved not in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but also was one of the planners of murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto. General Musharraf had threatened Benazir Bhutto not to return to Pakistan before the general elections. General Musharraf did not provide security to her as she had challenged illegal and unconstitutional rule of General Musharraf. Time has come that General Musharraf be arrested in Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's murder case and tried accordingly,” a party press release stated.
