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Musharraf blames Asif Ali Zardari, an ‘important Afghan figure’ for Benazir murder

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Pervez-Musharraf

[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.

Benazir bhutto

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.”

ZardariMusharraf 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]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRUxldCUyMG1lJTIwc3RhdGUlMjB0aGlzJTIwcXVpdGUlMjBjbGVhcmx5LiUyME11c2hhcnJhZiUyMGFuZCUyMGhpcyUyMGxhcGRvZyUyMGNyb25pZXMlMjBpbiUyMHRoZSUyMGVzdGFibGlzaG1lbnQlMjBhbmQlMjB0aGUlMjBhcm15JTIwYXJlJTIwcmVzcG9uc2libGUlMjBmb3IlMjBCQnMlMjBtdXJkZXIuJTNDJTJGcCUzRSUyNm1kYXNoJTNCJTIwQXNzYWQlMjBadWxmaXFhciUyMEtoYW4lMjAlMjglNDBwc2V1ZG9yZWJlbCUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRnBzZXVkb3JlYmVsJTJGc3RhdHVzJTJGOTEwOTAwNjEwNTk3MzQzMjMzJTIyJTNFU2VwdGVtYmVyJTIwMjElMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRnBsYXRmb3JtLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGd2lkZ2V0cy5qcyUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/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]

India News

US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

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A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

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5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

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Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

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US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

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Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

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