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Musharraf blames Asif Ali Zardari, an ‘important Afghan figure’ for Benazir murder
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fugitive in Bhutto murder case, former Pak president says Zardari gained most from Benazir and Murtaza Bhutto’s assassination while he lost everything
Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, on Friday, alleged that the murder of popular Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Benazir Bhutto was plotted by her husband Asif Ali Zardari. The exiled leader has also claimed that the assassination was carried out in collusion with a ‘senior and important public figure in Afghanistan’ who he refused to name.
Musharraf’s claims, made in a video he released on Facebook, come weeks after an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi declared him to be a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.
The former Pakistani dictator, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai, said that his “analysis” of who could have murdered the former two-term Prime Minister was specifically addressed to Bhutto’s children – Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Aseefa.
Bhutto was killed along with over 20 people in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 weeks after she had returned to the country from exile to lead her party into the general elections that took place in January 2008.
Musharraf, who Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has alleged had ordered Bhutto’s assassination, said he had “everything to lose” while “there was just one person that had everything to gain from Benazir’s assassination and that was Asif Ali Zardari.”[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/j9KdSFxSgFM”][vc_column_text]The retired Pakistan Army chief not only blamed Zardari for the PPP chief’s murder but also for the assassination of her brother Murtaza Bhutto, who had been killed in a dubious police encounter on September 20, 1996 in Karachi when Benazir Bhutto was the country’s Prime Minister.
“Asif Ali Zardari is responsible for the Bhutto family’s demise and is involved in the deaths of Benazir and Murtaza Bhutto,” Musharraf said, adding: “Every time there is a murder, the first thing that needs to be seen is who has the most to gain from the death. In this case, I had everything to lose as I was in power and the murder put my government in a difficult situation.”
Musharraf alleged that following Bhutto’s assassination and the subsequent victory of her PPP in the general elections of 2008 which saw Zardari being appointed as Pakistan’s 11th President, “Zardari was in power for five years but he did not look into the cases (of Benazir and Murtaza’s murders) — because he was himself involved in Benazir’s murder”.
Musharraf then alleged that while the evidence was clear that “Baitullah Mehsud (chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan , which was named in the Benazir Bhutto murder investigation for carrying out the strike) and his people were involved in the murder”, he wondered: “who had asked them to target Benazir Bhutto.”
The former Pakistan President claimed that he could not have asked the TTP chief to carry out the strike on Bhutto as “the group hated me and the feeling was mutual…It is a known fact that I wanted Mehsud dead and so did the government of Pakistan, after his group had attempted to kill me.”
In a theory that seemed rather far-fetched and could have a backlash from the Afghanistan establishment, Musharraf ventured to suggest that Zardari possibly reached out to Mehsud “either through the Taliban or then Afghan president Hamid Karzai”. He even suggested that a “very senior and important figure in Afghanistan,” was also possibly involved in the assassination plot but declined to name the person.
“The charge levied against me is that I did not provide Benazir adequate security — something I was not responsible for — the only question I have is, who took the decision to create a hatch in the roof of a bullet and bomb proof car (that Benazir was travelling in),” Musharraf said while insisting that Bhutto “had a heavy security detail and had got into her car unharmed, before someone called her on her phone incessantly and got her to wave to the people out of the hatch.”
Musharraf said that the investigating officers who probed Bhutto’s murder could have got vital leads in the case had they checked the slain PPP chief’s phone records from the time of her assassination, but “the phone went missing after her murder and resurfaced after two years by when its data was expectedly lost”.
While Bhutto’s eldest child and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto is yet to comment on Musharraf’s allegations, both her daughters – Aseefa and Bakhtawar took to Twitter to dismiss Musharraf’s allegation against their father and demanded that he return to Pakistan to stand trial for their mother’s murder.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1506069764420{border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;background-color: #b2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Bhutto assassination verdict
On August 31, 2017, an Anti-Terrorism court in Rawalpindi had declared General (retd) Pervez Musharraf an “absconder” and ordered that the State seize all properties owned by him. The court’s order came while it declaring its verdict in the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a suicide attack on December 27, 2007 while campaigning for her party at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh.
The Rawalpindi anti-terror court also awarded a total of 17 years in jail term for Saud Aziz, who was police chief of Rawalpindi when Bhutto was assassinated, and Khurram Shahzad, a former Superintendent of Police (SP) at Rawal Town. Aziz and Shahzad were each awarded 10 years in prison under Section 119 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and seven years each under Section 201 of the PPC.
Five suspects, Rafaqat Hussain, Husnain Gul, Sher Zaman, Aitzaz Shah and Abdul Rashid, all alleged operatives of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were acquitted on all charges in the case.
In his concluding arguments before the Rawalpindi court, counsel for Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, Mohammad Azhar Chaudhary had reiterated the agency’s stand that the assassination of Bhutto was ordered by Pervez Musharraf.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Google celebrates its 25th birthday with a special doodle
Birthdays can also serve as an opportunity for reflection, even though we at Google are always looking to the future.
The world’s largest search engine, Google, is marking its 25th birthday today with a unique doodle. Although Google Inc. was founded on September 4, the firm has been commemorating its birthday on September 27 for more than ten years.
In order to commemorate this unique event, the organisation today took a walk down memory lane and displayed several doodles. The GIF accompanying today’s Google Doodle changes Google into G25gle. The IT company claimed that it was utilising today as a time to reflect while remaining focused on the future.
Google said in a blog post, the Doodle for today honours Google’s 25th anniversary. Birthdays can also serve as an opportunity for reflection, even though we at Google are always looking to the future. Take a trip down memory lane to discover how we were created 25 years ago.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, two PhD students at Stanford University studying computer science in the late 1990s, developed Google. The two quickly discovered that they had similar goals for the World Wide Web, including making it more user-friendly. According to its blog, the duo put in a lot of effort from their dorm rooms to create a prototype for a better search engine.
They transferred the operation to Google’s first workplace, a rented garage, as they made significant headway on the project. The formal founding date of Google Inc. is September 27, 1998, it stated.
The company further said that although a lot has changed since 1998, its goal has not changed, to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Google said in a statement that it was grateful to users for evolving with us over the past 25 years and added, we can’t wait to see where the future takes us, together.
Google’s current CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a letter to commemorate the company’s birthday last month. He reflected on the company’s history, its contribution to the transformation of technology, and the way ahead. He expressed his appreciation for the customers, staff members, and collaborators who contributed to Google’s success. He also expressed gratitude for the commitment of both former and current Google employees as well as the ongoing challenge to innovate.
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Hardeep Nijjar killing row: Canada’s defence minister says ties with India important
The Defence Minister further mentioned that if the allegations are proven true, there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty.
Canada’s defence minister Bill Blair said that his country’s ties with India are important. HIs statement amidst a diplomatic standoff between both the countries. However, he also added that his country wants a thorough investigation into the allegation.
The escalating tensions between both the countries began after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that his country’s security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Defence Minister Bill Blair noted that they understand this can be, and has proven to be, a challenging issue with respect to their relationship with India. However, at the same time, they have the responsibility to make sure that they carry out a thorough investigation and get to the truth, he added.
The Defence Minister further mentioned that if the allegations are proven true, there is a very significant concern that Canada will have with respect to the violation of our sovereignty. On the other hand, India rejected the allegation as absurd and motivated.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs remarked that Canada has shared no specific information regarding its charges, flagging politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in that country. Furthermore, the foreign ministry has advised its nationals in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise utmost caution.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also claimed that such credible allegations were shared with India weeks ago. He added that they want to work constructively with India and hope that New Delhi engages with them so that they can get to the bottom of this very serious matter.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that Washington is deeply concerned about the allegations and that they want to see accountability in the case.
Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada’s British Columbia in June. He was chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and reportedly one of India’s most wanted terrorists.
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National Daughters Day 2023: History, significance, theme and wishes
The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
In India, Daughter’s Day is observed on the final Sunday in September, which falls on September 24, 2023. India is the only big nation with a higher mortality rate for females than boys, according to UNICEF.
At birth, there are 900 females for every 1000 boys in the nation. In the world, boys are 7% more likely than girls to die before the age of five. In India, though, the figures are dismal, with 11% more girls dying before turning five.
Given these troubling numbers, it is crucial to invest in the wellbeing of girls in order to empower them. The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
The first National Daughters Day was observed in India in 2007, which is where the holiday’s origins can be found. Daughters have frequently been overlooked in a society where males have long been regarded with awe. The noble goal of this day is to inspire parents to show their admiration for their daughters.
In certain cultures, having daughters has been seen as more of a burden than a blessing. With the goal of reversing this perception, National Daughter’s Day exhorts parents to acknowledge the extraordinary gift that their daughters are.
The significance of National Daughters Day can be found in our ever-changing society. It’s a day set aside to gleefully acknowledge the daughters in our lives. Falling on a Sunday presents a chance for parents and daughters to spend quality time together, cherish one another, and have intimate life-related dialogues. It’s a day for giving, caring, and fostering the cherished relationship between mothers and daughters.
Wishes
- Daughters are special and highly valued, which demonstrates that they were sent from heaven above
- Daughters are special; once we have them, we can never live without them. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters are the pride of their parents’ hearts; from birth, they are beautiful
- My darling daughter, my baby you will always be, no matter where you are. You are a little part of me, whether near or far. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters will soon be married and grown, then they may start a family of their own
