PHOTO: AFP
“She allegedly planned to collaborate with the US against the mujahideen if she returned to power,” is the reason stated by the book for the assassination.
I may not be a Bhutto, but Bhutto's spirit is in me: Zardari
“The return of Benazir Bhutto was planned at the behest of the Americans as they had given her a plan against the Mujahideed-e-Islam. Baitullah had received information of the plan,” the book further claims.
According to reports, no group had previously claimed responsibility for Bhutto’s murder until this claim in TTP’s book.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.
Former president Pervez Musharraf had even blamed TTP for the attack.
The book claims that two suicide bombers, Bilal and Ikramullah were tasked to carry out the attack.
"Bomber Bilal first fired at Benazir Bhutto from his pistol and the bullet hit her neck. Then he detonated his explosive jacket and blew himself up among the participants of the procession," the book claimed.
The book has been written by TTP leader Abu Mansoor Asim Mufti Noor Wali and was published on November 30, 2017 at “Maseed Computer Centre in Barmal” which is in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.
It is a 588-page book and contains many photographs of Taliban leaders.
The book even says that TTP was involved in a suicide bombing two months earlier at Bhutto’s procession in Karachi in October 2007 that killed 140 people but Bhutto remained unhurt.
Revelations by the book relay that Baitullah Mehsud had approved the Karachi attack on Bhutto’s procession.
"Despite attacks on Benazir Bhutto's procession in Karachi, the government had not taken appropriate security measures that made it possible for the attackers to have easy access to Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi," the book states.
“Ikramullah, a resident of Makeen town in South Waziristan escaped from the blast site and is still alive.”
However, it is not sure if this is the same Ikramullah who was declared an absconder by an anti-terrorism court along with five others.
Musharraf had been charged in the case as well but ATC declared him an absconder as well.
The former president and army chief denied his involvement many times and dismissed the charges as politically-motivated.
Pervez Musharraf killed my mother: Bilawal Bhutto
Subsequently, the ATC convicted two police officials, Saud Aziz who was the police chief of Rawalpindi when Bhutto was murdered and Khurram Shahzad, a former SP of police at Rawal town.
Both of them were sentenced to 17 years in jail but were granted bail by the Lahore High Court in October 2017.
TTP leadership denied any involvement in the murder until Bhutto’s 10th death anniversary.
This article originally appeared on Economic Times
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ