Pakistan

Benazir assassination case: Musharraf, APML strike defiant tone on indictment

Party supporters to launch protests against former President’s indictment.

Express February 18, 2011

LAHORE: The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) will stage protests across the country on Friday (today) against the indictment of party leader and former President Pervez Musharraf in the trial investigating former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

The announcement was made by Fawad Chaudhry, APML media adviser. The party will stage protests nationwide as well as in cities around the world such as London, New York and Toronto, where supporters will protest in front of Pakistani diplomatic missions in those cities.

Chaudhry said that, of the five investigations that have to date been conducted into the matter, all have concluded that Baitullah Mehsud, the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, was responsible for the assassination of the former premier.

Musharraf, in an interview with a private television channel from London on Thursday, said that his indictment in the trial was an attempt to browbeat him for political purposes. He pointed out that Bhutto had been warned of threats to her life and that her own party members had taken responsibility for her safety.

“It is not the job of president to provide security to anyone,” added the former president.

The APML spokesman accused the judge presiding over the trial of bias, saying that the warrants for Musharraf’s arrest had been issued illegally. Chaudhry claimed that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had yet to submit any questionnaire to the former president or contact him in any way.

The FIA, in turn, claims that it has made repeated attempts to contact Musharraf and only requested the warrant for his arrest after it failed to get any response from him.

With additional input from Online

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (17)

tabeer awan | 13 years ago | Reply Huh come on stop it Election is close so PPP And N league need something to make fool out of this dumb nation

truth | 13 years ago | Reply Theoretical speaking we call it "Diversionary Theory/ Approach"....Current government has failed to meet basic demands of public and the mass expectations are completely shattered.....These actions are basically to divert public opinion towards non-issue areas.. Indict Musharraf is primarily rediculous at this stage..... PPP government has already wasted millions of Dollar of Pakistan tax payer money to UN report..... If FIA/ PPP were planning to do this investigation,then what was the reason to waste huge amount of money....

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salim | 13 years ago | Reply @Uza Syed: Great comment!

Cheema | 13 years ago | Reply The innocent people of Pakistan have now seen true face of the so called independent judiciary. Pakistan was going so well under Musharraf. His crime is that he is loyal and honest to Pakistan, which is neither acceptable to the mafias nor the hypocrite ruling elite. Long live Musharraf.

PERVAIZ | 13 years ago | Reply @n: these courts are for 17 millions Pakistani and musraf is include in it . same for zardari , nawaz , imran and every citizen .

n | 13 years ago | Reply @PERVAIZ.....who ensures that courts are not biased :)

PERVAIZ | 13 years ago | Reply Why not above said reasons will given in court . one can not proof innocent in media . musraf must appear in court and proof him self innocent other wise he will be consider guilty.

JD | 13 years ago | Reply How many people have been murdered during Zardari's tenure? Is he responsible as an accomplice in their murders since he failed to provide 'fool-proof' security to them? These charges against Mush are totally bogus.

Uza Syed | 13 years ago | Reply Seems like, creating hype about President Pervaiz Musharraf (non) issue is the only hope left for the Supreme Court and its CJ. to overcome its own problems in the aftermath of failed attempt to provide a possibility to a loylist to continue in his job. I have a hunch ---- there is going to be some great fireworks in the august house soon, very soon. What's it we hear, a non-functional judge sending notice to 4 of the sitting judges for contempt, tell me it's insignificant and tell me it has not caused insomnia to some. Can we safely anticipate action replay of another era in the same house that consequented the ouster of the Chief of the time through mutiny of sorts ------ can anyone refresh our memories about a great man called Syed Sajjad Ali Shah. Who knows, President Musharraf and his sacrifices come to rescue and provide final freedom to our judiciary from all sorts of tyranies ------including JUDICIAL.

Sahar | 13 years ago | Reply Great Move! This would be a clear call to the judiciary and government that they shall not make anyone victim of their propaganda without proofs. Moreover, i think they made the attempt to divert public from Raymond's case.. And i request our independent judiciary to call the ultimate beneficiaries in the court first because they may be the reason or the master minds behind.. as Musharraf did not get any benefit from BB's assassination rather he had paid for something he did not do!

Q | 13 years ago | Reply Great. Long Live PM.

Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply Yes we second the stance - this is political victimising. If the Presidents are responsible - then Mr Zardari you too are responsible for Slaman Taseer Tragedy - Fair isn't it.

salim | 13 years ago | Reply This is political victamisation and scapegoating. A ploy to divert attention from the real killers.

Malik Tabeer | 13 years ago | Reply Wow Great step Well done APML

Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Its already proved. Musharraf was not involved in it.

Faraz | 13 years ago | Reply Musharaf has nothing to do with benazir bhutto shaheed murder.it look like a political move against him.

Nasir Jamal | 13 years ago | Reply I think that General Musharraf has nothing to do with the murder. The only miscalculation he made was the removal of Chief Justice which proved to be his undoing. The country enjoyed a stability and degree of direction of purpose during his tenure. Now that the country is fed up with the "misrule" of the PPP government, they have stirred BB murder investigation in order to gain undue favor from public but they are going to fail miserably.

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