Pakistan

BB assassination: 'Musharraf provided Mehsud the opportunity'

Detailed charge-sheet presented in ATC names Musharraf and Mehsud behind "planned conspiracy" to murder Benazir.

Express February 11, 2011

RAWALPINDI: A detailed charge-sheet presented in Rawalpindi's Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday includes former President Pervez Musharraf and Baitullah Mehsud as those directly involved in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

An interim charge-sheet had been presented in the ATC in this regard on Monday. The detailed charge-sheet says that there was a planned conspiracy behind Bhutto's assassination, adding that Musharraf provided Mehsud with the opportunity to carry out suicide attacks on Bhutto.

The document says Mehsud provided two suicide bombers for the attack who had arrived in Rawalpindi from South Waziristan. It also mentions Bhutto's email and a BlackBerry SMS in which she said Musharraf would be responsible if anything happens to her.

While submitting the interim charge-sheet, public prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar had said, “The former president will be declared an absconder if he avoids appearing before the court.”

Earlier, The Express Tribune reported that a forensic report on the data retrieved from the recently-found personal BlackBerry phones of Ms Bhutto had revealed that Benazir Bhutto was given a firm assurance from the highest authorities in both Pakistan and the United States that she would be the next prime minister after the 2007 general elections.

The latest investigation report compiled by the FIA investigation team probing the Benazir murder case also came down hard on Pervez Musharraf. The report compiled by head of investigation team Khalid Qureshi says:

“Musharraf was equally responsible for facilitation and abetment of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto through his government and justified failure in providing her the requisite security protection that her status demanded twice. There was a security lapse.” The fresh report is likely to be submitted to Interior Minister by end of this week. The report also says: “Musharraf himself appointed Saud Aziz on junior assignment in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2008.”

COMMENTS (30)

Zahid Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply The contents of the report need to be seriously studied to seek answers to the following questions: 1: How could the "higher authorities both in Pakistan and United States of America assure that Benazir would be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan after the 2007 general elections?" 2: Was Benazir given a "COVERT TASK" by local and foreign intelligence agencies? What were the undisclosed terms and conditions of the TASK and what were its expected consequences on Pakistan's internal and external affairs? 3: Did Benazir, after coming back to Pakistan, adhered to the terms and conditions of the given TASK? Apparently she did not! In such a case what was the expected consequence? 4: Was it possible that those agencies that had promised a position of State Executive Power to Benazir after her "CONDITIONAL RETURN" to Pakistan played a decisive role in her assassination? The answers to the above questions will help the investigation agencies to put their probe on the right track. BUT, ARE THEY REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT?

hameeda | 13 years ago | Reply Musharraf provided an opportunity to Mehsud .... well yes he did when he allowed her back to Pakistan but I guess standing on top of the car was not something that Musharraf did, check with Naheed Khan and others who were present in the car and also Rehman Malik as to why he changed his statements ?!?! ... all the clues lead elsewhere so someone should start questioning others if they are serious about resolving this matter. As for some people who are claiming that Musharraf washed the crime scene, what were you expecting from the crime scene that got washed that night? maybe you expect id card of Musharraf to be found from the crime scene? just like the Indians find a national id card of a pakistani whenever there is a act of terrorism in their country ;-)

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Morbid Isolation | 13 years ago | Reply Benazir was a victim of a sinister plot concocted by Haqqani, the US and Zardari.

arastu | 13 years ago | Reply why BB came out of the sunroof!!? Why Kennedy was travelling in an open car when he got shot? Why Gandhi was in a crowd when he got shot? Why why? Lets not blame the Victim!! Its shameful and disgusting to point fingers at the victim instead of the killers! Its also a tactic to divert attention from the real killers!! whats important is who killed her and what were the motives behind the killing of Pakistan's Last leader / statesperson of National and International standing.

Moise | 13 years ago | Reply US trying to clear its name since Benazir understood the US double standards and coming back to help Pakistanis. US got panicked and had her executed Kennedy style. Blackberry is planted evidence, why family didnt knew about their mother Blackberry before. Throw out Americans, their empire is already crumbling and good chance to work to benefit people and win hearts, this is my request to Pakistani leaders.

hamza khan | 13 years ago | Reply @jahangir khan: thats excellent logic. so you're essentially admitting that by being this 'popular' leader and getting out of the roof of the armored car that was provided to her by musharraf and his government, she in fact did open herself to get shot in the head and be assassinated?

Zafar | 13 years ago | Reply @ all conspiracy theorists 'Evident from the beginning' From where and how??? In your imagination?? Or did you personally listen in to the call between Musharraf and Baitullah planning this? Baitullah tried to assassinate Musharraf many times and came close to doing so as well on many occasions. The timing of this new 'twist' to the case is indeed interesting, as the next elections get closer, it's a good time to start discrediting political opponents. That's how politics goes.... The truth should come out indeed, the people of Pakistan deserve to know the truth and the perpetrators need to be brought to justice. But let's differentiate between fiction and reality.

hamza khan | 13 years ago | Reply this is pakistani political victimization at its best. president musharraf, as he has said himself, is not into guile and betrayal and murdering people. if he is, he's definitely had me fooled. everyone knows that the taliban had already stated that they were gonna attempt to kill BB even before she arrived. so then why did she come? who's fault is that? was BB not put under house arrest when the government received credible information that her life was in danger in early december, after which she raised a hue and cry? so, in one instance his government is protecting her and then suddenly he decides to kill her? great logic people, great logic.

Dani | 13 years ago | Reply Nothing new. US = Musharraf = Agencies killed her.

jahangir khan | 13 years ago | Reply @Ali: @mustafa: my very dear ali and mustafa, you must consider the facts that BB was a popular leader and a politician, and not an army general or sister of an al qaida or Taliban leader. political leaders do come out in open and in public to fulfill the wishes of their workers and supporters who wait for long hours to see their leaders from a close distance. its natural and happens in all democratic societies and public gatherings. BB wasn't doing any thing strange or unnatural. leaders are human beings and they too get emotional when they see their charged supporters, especially after separation of no less than a decade. why don't u ask yourself those questions raised in the UN report?

Aamir+Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Bhutto did not cooperate with security assigned to her and Musharraf had no collusion with Baitullah Mehsud group. This is a desperate report.

billo | 13 years ago | Reply @Umayr Masud @Shafiq What did Musharraf have to gain? Power. Musharraf knew BB would win the elections and that he would be sidelined by the Americans. He also knew that the Americans did not trust Nawaz Sharif because he was seen as too close to the mullahs. Without BB Musharraf thought that there was no other candidate that the Americans could work with and they would have no choice but to keep working with him. Delusions of grandeur. In any case it was under his watch that there was not only a security lapse but the crime scene was washed clean. What did he have to hide?

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply And this is the guy who gets taxpayer funded bodyguards? No wonder the World holds Pakistan is such low regard.

vasan | 13 years ago | Reply Things havent changed for Islamic rulers in the subcontinent from the era of Babur/Ibrahim lodhi. With a few exceptions, each ruler has to be killed or imprisoned before the next ruler takes over. What a pathetic state of affairs.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply The "great martyr" Benazir had already been the target of one assasination attempt. When you get out of your car and get within 10 feet of ordinary people there is not a safety measure in the world that can save you from a suicide bomber. It's her own incompetence. If someone had planted a bomb under the stage and she was sitting on it when it went off then the organisers of the event could be blamed for it. However the fault of this cannot be put on the doorstep of Musharraf. Musharraf too nearly got blown up numerous times but he was careful not to take such huge risks. The Taliban was itself nurtured under the very nose of Benazir, so holding Musharraf responible for Mehsud and comapny is big fat lie. At the time of the Taliban formation Musharraf probably had no say in it however Bhutto was kept informed. She was a useless prime minister when she was alive and had she lived I am willing to bet that she would have been as useless as her husband. From what I have seen and heard, her son and heir apparent is as of the same ilk.

Analyser | 13 years ago | Reply Those crying for the 'who benefited most' theory should answer this: who else but the people in power at the time could manage to wash the crime scene immediately after the attack to eliminate the evidence?

Peaceful | 13 years ago | Reply I will not be surprised if FIA constructs another story that BB's phone shows a call from Musharraf who asked BB to stand up from the car.

Shafiq | 13 years ago | Reply Another drama. What Musharraf was to gain from her murder.

Abdul Latif | 13 years ago | Reply A big double gamer caught at last !!

Umayr Masud | 13 years ago | Reply and musharraf gained what form getting this done?

Noreen Shams | 13 years ago | Reply Since 4 years we have been listening this ... but nothing is on move nothing gonna be happen ...when BB herself made clear that he is responsible then how her own party can rewarded him safe passage..... strange land of strange happenings Pakistan.....

Nasir Taimoori | 13 years ago | Reply What a mixture! Religious Extremist + Liberal Facist = Benazir Bhutto Assassination

Shafaqat Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Well Musharaf's involvment was always evident, no doubts.

hassan | 13 years ago | Reply what a load of bull.. Musharraf has no involvement in this.. Responsible are those who benefited the most from her death. We all know who :P

Asit | 13 years ago | Reply Wonder why it has taken so much time for this!? This was clear from day one! Only remains to be seen if he is brought to justice.

mustafa | 13 years ago | Reply just another nonsence story, my contention is that Why on earth Benazier come out of the the hood inspite of the fact that everyone had told her about grave threats. whats the explaination for this

gurriya | 13 years ago | Reply so finally this is reaching somewhere when we had started to believe like all political assassination in the country, this was going to go in circles as well. hopefully, truth prevails.

Yasser Ali | 13 years ago | Reply This was a tragic death. Unfortunately there has never been and never will be any accountability in Pakistan. It is a shame that Pakistan and the world lost an amazing light. May she always rest in peace and Rab Almighty grant her a place in His humble abode. Ameen.

Saim Baig | 13 years ago | Reply Nothing new in this.Everyone knew that its a part of a bigger conspiracy. Musharraf's involvement was evident from day one.

ashok sai | 13 years ago | Reply Oops, seems it will be curtains for musharraf.

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