Former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto. PHOTO: FILE
In his letter addressed to Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Malik has also demanded t that a request be made to Afghan president to deport Ikramullah, a surviving suicide bomber, and Abu Mansoor Asim Mufti Noor Wali, the author of ‘Inqilab Meshud South Waziristan: From British Raj to American Imperialism’.
“Interrogation [of the two persons] will further unearth the facts of the conspiracy behind assassination of Benazir Bhutto,” the Senator said on Friday while addressing a press conference at his residence in which he unveiled the letter. “Interpol be also requested to issue Red Notices against Ikramullah and Wali, enabling Pakistan to request for deportation of these two TTP leaders,” he added.
Zardari plotted assassination of Benazir, Murtaza Bhutto: Musharraf
According to Malik, the author is a senior leader in the TTP group based in Afghanistan and his claims have corroborated the investigation carried out by a joint investigation team (JIT) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that the TTP former chief Baitullah Mahsud ordered Bhutto’s assassination.
“It is for the first time that the Taliban have officially confessed to murdering Benazir Bhutto. As the book has made leading claims, therefore, it is necessary that investigation into the BB’s case be revisited,” he stressed.
He said earlier the investigation done by a JIT headed by a senior officer of the FIA had also concluded that the Taliban/TTP and Al-Qaeda had carried out the assassination of Bhutto and the TTP chief and his associates had hatched the conspiracy in Miranshah, North Waziristan Agency.
“According to the earlier investigations, one of the two suicide bombers provided by Baitullah was identified as Bilal who blew himself at Liaquat Bagh resulting in Shahadat of BB.
Benazir murder – conspiracy theories abound
“Ikramullah, the second suicide bomber escaped from the scene and his current whereabouts have recently been reported in Afghanistan. He is presently in the area of Paktia, which falls under the control of Afghanistan,” he revealed.
About the first attempt on Bhutto in Karachi, the writer has claimed that “prior to return of Benazir Bhutto for elections of 2008, Baitullah Mehsud had already planned action against her as she was coming back to carry out plans against ‘Mujahideen-e-Islam’ as per desire of America.
“In order to frustrate the US plan, two suicide bombers namely Mohsin Mehsud and Rehmatullah Mehsud carried out suicide attacks on Benazir Bhutto at Karsaz, Karachi, in October 2007, which resulted in killing of approximately 200 people but BB escaped the attack,” Malik quoted the book.
He said the attack remained unsuccessful as the bombers deviated from the instructions. The suicide bombers abandoned their place of position, which was near the stage, and carried out their attacks in hurry. Both the suicide bombers were associated with the training camp of Maulvi Azmatullah.
The planned attack on Benazir Bhutto in Larkana could not be carried out due to a tipoff given to the police by a so-called Taliban mujahid, Mehraj Kaikhel.
Malik referred in his letter to the claims made by the writer in the said book about the assassination attack at Rawalpindi where he claimed that “Benazir Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, carried out by TTP.
He demanded that the surviving suicide bombers and proclaimed offender – Ikramullah – and the TTP leader and author of this book – Abu Mansoor Asim Mufti Noor Wali – must be investigated by Pakistani authorities and agencies on urgent basis for further investigation.
“I as chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior have taken up the issue in the committee as a high powered inquiry team should be formed to investigate into the claims made by the writer,” he added.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ