According to the report by UN and Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by the government of Pakistan to probe the Benazir Bhutto murder, Pervez Musharraf was aware and involved in the Benazir assassination plot, wrote Mark Siegel for The New York Daily News on Thursday.
Siegel wrote that Benazir was “visibly shaken” after she hung up Musharraf's “threatening” phone call on September 25, 2007.
“Musharraf had threatened her with dire consequences if she returned to Pakistan to lead her Pakistan Peoples Party in the upcoming elections, where she was the major threat to defeat him. Bhutto quoted him as saying that she would be responsible for what happened to her,” he wrote.
Siegel added that, “Bhutto had believed that Musharraf was complicit in the attempt to take her life in Karachi by not providing her enough security. In fact, his involvement in the Karachi and Rawalpindi attacks was much more direct and insidious.”
The government, after four years of investigation, has started legal procedure against Musharraf, who is currently in exile in London, and also requested Interpol to issue red warrants for his arrest.
Earlier, Musharraf had been asked to appear in the Supreme Court on March 22 (today) with documents proving his identity as a Pakistani citizen.
Due to an editing error, an earlier version of the post stated that Benazir Bhutto received the “threatening” phone call on September 25, 2011. It has now been rectified.
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Whether he knew or not, the reality is that the general feeling was that the end of BB was near.... she was threatening Pakistan by promising to hand over AQ Khan and align Pakistan completely with US aims and interests, effectively superseding any achievement of Pakistani interests in the regional imbroglio.
He had nothing to gain and everything to lose by her assassination, so let's leave an educated, well-balanced (as far as Pakistani standards go) and far more refined than anyone in the present government, whose simply not responsible for the rhetoric credited to him, as its just not his style - compare his speeches, interviews and other media appearances and you can see that it is not his manner of speaking - PK is known for its inherent love of intrigue and rumour mongering,. It is the only way to justify ones wrong-doing. For all his faults and abuse of power, Musharraf is certainly a far cry better than anyone we have seen since! There was more law and order, less corruption and far better international relations during his time, than there ever will be should the present government prevail. Talk about Jewish spies??? come on!!! to delve in conspiracy theories, at-least have a fair grasp of your politics, PLEASE!
Yes, he did know, I guess! Along with other prominent leaders who never showed-up at the "Jalsa". Probably that's why he gave her the bullet proof car, hoping she would stay inside it.
@Ilyad: Mark S, has spoken about this soon after BB's murder. Many still remember him on the CNN. Mark also provided his emails correspondence with BB to CNN. Not you but some can make all of fun of a brutally murdered leader but the misprint of date in one paper cannot change the facts. She was attacked and attacked till she was eliminated. Why are the rightwing leaders not attacked like this? Only the secular leaders of ANP and PPP are targeted. Regards, Mirza
@Ammar: yeah she called from the heavens maybe
He should be tried asap. Justice should be delivered fast. Justice delayed is justice denied[some one quoted]. He took a mother away from her children, whenever I see the face of Bilawal I feel sad. Also a mother[Benazir's mum] has seen the death of her own daughter.This man should not go scot free! The armed forces are supposed to safeguard the country and he should have provided her with security. But he got her killed! And he is being invited as a guest speaker by the west and lives there in luxury while the rest of the country is suffering.
Reminds me of a joke, a general overthrew his government and took over, later called a press conference to speak about corruption and all the wrongdoings to justify his action, from among the reporters someone asked, you were a sitting general then why didn't you say or do something then. The general angrily yelled back 'who asked that question' - intimadted, no one responded, and the general said 'that is why'. If Siegel knows now then he knew then as well, why has he decided to come up with this now, he was not under any direct threat. Musharraf said at various instances that she was warned of an imminent threat to her life, is he supposed to protect everyone? if so then let's start with the life of a common man who feels insecure leaving home.
To some Mark Siegel, Gen Jones and other famous Americans are not reliable, respectable and credible enough. Any foreigner who is talking about Pakistani generals is a CIA agent and against Pakistan, army and govt. The only American who is credible and honest is Mansoor Ijaz even after talking and writing so much against Pakistan. Our generals love this honest man our courts go out of the way to chase him and extract info against the elected govt. All decorated and distinguished foreigners are on one side and the innocent Mansoor Ijaz is better than all. Only an elected PM ZAB could be hanged without the evidence and a direct threat. Gen Mush is exempt from Pakistani constitution and the PCO SC.
Its sound so funny man had become the part of BB killing after he had given up as COAS lifted emergency and then he would not be the beneficiary however BB had welcome his resignation as COAS and lifting of emergency just 2 week before of her assassination
That Musharraf was part of a plot seems logical, the real issue is who else was with him. Why the present Pakistan government has been dragging its feet to block the truth coming out.
@Pakistan politics: Even though I respect your comments but credit to ET for printing your comments because all you do is ET bashing or liberal bashing. ET does present the other side of the picture, even if it is financed by foreign elements does not mean they are wrong. Lets open our minds shall we :)
sept 2011??maybe she called him from the grave....??!!!
Bring him and hang him!
@Basit: ET should change its name to either "Times of India" or "Times of Israel" as ultimately they are serving purposes of Jewish lobby with the guidance of western media
PPP can never bring him back to pakistan for judicial proceedings....
"threatning" phone call on September 25, 2011? ET!
New York Daily News... nuff said.
It was September 25, 2007, not 2011.
What's new in it. It has repeatedly appeared in our media.
he knew about it thats why he warned her! he had intelligence reports that bait-ul-mehsud is plotting to kill her. btw the person who gave benazir bullet proof car with sun roof should be arrested and questioned.
This is a very simplistic approach to a very complicated issue. I think all the major players, (countries, concerned political parties and key people) knew this was on the cards. When it happened all tried to benefit from it, some benefited more and some less. Singling out one man does not make sense and that is why nothing will emerge from this.
ET! Call on Septmber 25, 2011?
Twisted men would do anything to hold on to power be it eliminating their opponents directly or implicitly. Mush should be held responsible for not only BBs murder but also the murder of a whole nation's ethics, values and tolerance.
ET once again regurgitating news from the Western media. It's as if no independent mind exists in Pakistan, a common liberal lament.
Is it a threat if I tell someone don't go out as their are people out to hurt you and if you do you are responsible for the outcome ????? or Would this be a threat I will hurt you if you come over.
Khoon khud bolta haay, apnay katal ki taraf ishara kerta haay.
Let this coward man face for what he did, a disgrace to army and the whole nation
And if he thinks he did not prove himself otherwise.
Pakistan should have UK arrest and then bring him to Pakistan as a common criminal for due process. Hopefully, he would be found guilty and hanged for treason, subverting the constitution and trampling on the rights of citizens.