The scope of investigations into the assassination of slain Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was widened to include Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, and the personnel of Bhatti’s security escort.
Officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and members of the investigation team on Friday went to Adiala Jail to question Qadri after obtaining permission from a trial court.
Strongly suspecting the blasphemy controversy to be the motive behind the killing of the minister, investigators are looking for possible links between the two high-profile killings that are separated by less than two months.
No credible information came out from the interrogation of Qadri, however, and police officials maintained Taseer’s killer denied any knowledge of a possible broader conspiracy to target people on the basis of the blasphemy controversy.
He pleaded ignorance about the killing of Bhatti and insisted that he had killed the former governor for alleged blasphemy.
Sources said certain clues had been found during the investigations which led the probe team to suspect a connection. However, this was not officially verified.
Police also rounded up more suspects including a cleric of a mosque for questioning. Police officials said thirty suspects and certain witnesses were being questioned. The driver of the slain minister was also interrogated.
“His own statements did not match and they also contradicted the accounts given by eyewitnesses,” said a police official, adding that Gul Sher’s role had now become “suspicious”.
Four personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in the security escort of Bhatti were also included in the probe and were being quizzed. Several FC personnel have been found to be involved in terrorism-related cases in Islamabad.
Sources said the police officers responsible for the slain minister’s security were also questioned.
It was still not clear why the 15-man strong security squad had not followed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Phone calls record on the cell phone used by the slain minister was also being screened for clues, police officials said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2011.
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