Pakistan

All Benazir murder suspects have been arrested: Malik

Interior Minister says the PPP CEC will decide whether to make investigation report public.

Express March 26, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

The government claimed on Friday that all the suspects involved in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto have been arrested.

Benazir was killed in a gun and bomb attack outside Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007.

“They are in the custody of a special investigation team which has already smashed their network to nail terrorism,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the media after inaugurating a passport office at Gujjar Khan in Rawalpindi on Friday.

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will decide whether or not to make public the investigation report in the Benazir murder case, he added.

The report not only identifies the killers but also reveals what was their real motive, he added. “Result-oriented efforts by senior police officials led to the arrest of the killers.”

The minister also said that regional countries should join hands against the threat of terrorism.

“Terrorists want to destabilise the region, therefore, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan should sit together to think over the issue of terrorism,” said Malik.

Terrorism is a mindset which is present in every country, he said, adding that better understanding among neighbouring countries is necessary to defeat this menace.

Malik said the agenda for upcoming talks between the interior secretaries of Pakistan and India has been finalised.

He said that due to timely information provided by Pakistan to Interpol, a terrorism plot at the Cricket World Cup has been foiled. He said the suspected terrorist arrested in Sri Lanka belongs to the Maldives and remained associated with jihadi outfits.

Replying to a question, the minister said that Pakistan has strongly condemned American drone attacks as ‘these violate our sovereignty’. “We told US officials that these attacks are counter-productive,” he said. The Pakistani leadership has the courage to take bold decisions without compromising on national interests.

With additional input from APP

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (12)

truth speaks | 13 years ago | Reply y then asking to arrest Musharraf?

hamad | 13 years ago | Reply Should I belive on interior Minster.offcourse! I should as He should be and He is responsible person. He is Minster too. I wonder people make doubt on Minsters thougts they politically motivated then responsibalities.

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Raj | 13 years ago | Reply So what if you have arrested these people? what do you propose to do with them? On basis of previous form of those responsible they had also arrested those responsible for Mumbai attack!! What did you do with them? I suppose you will keep them well fed and wait till the noise dies down and then sweep it under the carpets, with ridiculas statements like " we don't have enough evidence or witnesses to proceed with prosecution of them!!!" If ever there was a govt in pakistan who was publicity savvy its this present lot, Lets face it they really do not have any power to make any important decisions without Army's approval and those decisions that they do make on its own are complete disaster for the economy and its people. They are only there to make as much money as possible in the time left, before the next election, and then will canvas on basis of their reputation that they managed a whole term in office without Army Coup!!! That folks is about only claim they can canvas on that they brought democracy to the nation!!!

Cars in Pakistan | 13 years ago | Reply if all are arrested they why we are not getting to the source. this is just another statement in which he do not know what he is talking about. usually they say such thing when there gov is under pressure.

Karim Alam | 13 years ago | Reply In my opinion BB has been murdered by the extremists and they are responsible for this. As they were after her life when she openly opposed their activities and they even tried to target her in Karachi, when BB arrived from exile. While other government functionaries may have shown negligence (which is a common phenomenon in most of the government organizations/departments) however, they may not be held responsible. Learning from such mistakes the government must work to improve the processes & efficiency of the law enforcement agencies.

Iftikhar-ur-Rehman | 13 years ago | Reply Rehman Malik has habit of making funny statements and this is one of them.

Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply Were my two comments hard to comprehend!

Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply Maldive Is comes out of the cold and I would not be surprised if these guys were hiding in the underwater cabinet room that was constructed for President Nasheed who ousted Qayoom with help of New Delhi. Less Malik Rahman is better informed that the former President of Maldive Abdul Gayoom would not allow Delhi to touch the shores and now under Nasheed Delhi has a base in far South of Indian Ocean; So could the trial take place in the under water court?

Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply What kind of darn gimmick is this! Those stupid UN investigators ripped our national exchequer of over six figures in Benjamin Franklin, should we not take them to ICJ at The Hague; Sorry they are protected under Geneva Convention. This is amazing we have a super team that gave Interpol the right betting tips that led them to the Hounds of Liaqat Gardens; Imagine Holmes and Watson scratching their napes wondering if they could join the Rahman Malik School of Criminal Investigation? Could the honorable Minister also now give this fabulous team to dig out the culprits of the first Prime Minister's murder, the real culprits behind Bhawalpur aircrash 1988. So what is the connection between RawalPindi and Mohali they are not twin cities or could be; Now why would a VVVIP go to India to watch the semi-finals and get himself popped off. Why not at the finals in Mumbai at Taj Hotel prize giving ceremony. Wake up! Mr Panetta we have a super team that could place both COAS and VCOAS of Al Qaida on your front door, but you must call our expert Minister to strike a fair deal. There is one question which irks where will the trial take place and how close to 2013 will the judiciary announce the judgement? after all the next elections must be won with landslide majority and wipe away all the accusation of infamous Nepotism, Corruption and nincompoop governance. Exalted truth imposes upon us. Heat and Cold, grief and pain. Terror and weakness of wealth and body Together, so that the coin of our inner most becomes evident.---------------- Jalal ed din Rumi.

Zahid Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply You can make fool some of the people all of the times, All of the people some of the times, But never all of the peoples all of the times.

justar | 13 years ago | Reply The truth has a snowball's chance in hell with this lot.

Ameer Hamza | 13 years ago | Reply If anyone had read the Scotland Yard report on the murder of Benazir Bhutto he / she would know that the report states in very clear terms that three people must be questioned: Gen. Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and Rehman Malik. All three are free and happy. And no one dares ask them any questions. Gen. Musharraf, as was expected of him, has swiftly refused to pay any heed to the order of Lahore High Court to appear in person and answer questions. Even his lawyer is not interested. And we say, we have a free and un-biased judiciary. People of Pakistan just wasted their time, energy and lot of money when they walked for freedom of Courts and reinstatement of our CJ.

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