Benazir’s assassination: All but one accused have met their fate, says Zardari

Says Benazir had said Musharraf should be held responsible if she was harmed

SUKKUR: Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday came out all guns blazing against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, while obliquely blaming him for the assassination of PPP’s former chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Addressing a meeting held at Naudero House Sunday evening to mark Benazir’s 62nd birth anniversary, Zardari said his spouse had said in her lifetime that Gen Musharraf should be held responsible if any harm came her way. “This is an FIR against you. Neither me nor anybody else can change it,” he said addressing the former military ruler.

In his brief and carefully-worded speech, copies of which were shared with a select group of media persons after proper editing and vetting, the PPP leader claimed that all except one conspirators of Benazir’s assassination had met their fate.

Read: Political huddle: Zardari starts playing his cards again

Zardari paid rich tributes to PPP’s founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir, saying that the people of Larkana were proud of their city which has given the country two prime ministers.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave Pakistan the nuclear power, while his brave daughter, Benazir Bhutto, introduced the missile technology in the country,” he claimed. “Shaheed Bibi gave us a vision, which we are following,” he added. “People of Pakistan are our power and with their power Benazir’s children will move forward and achieve their goal.”

Later, the party’s top leadership cut a cake to mark Benazir’s birth anniversary. The media was not allowed inside Naudero House but sources claimed that PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also wanted to speak but was not allowed.

Later, talking to the media at Garhi Khuda Bux, PPP Senator Rehman Malik insisted that Zardari has said nothing against the army chief or Pakistan Army but the media has created the hype.

Read: Benazir’s birth anniversary: PPP leaders arrive in Garhi Khuda Bux

Malik claimed that the PPP co-chairperson had talked about a retired general Pervez Musharraf, who, he alleged, was hatching conspiracies against the PPP. “The PPP co-chairperson had not uttered any word against army chief General Raheel Sharif or Pakistan Army.

“Pakistan Army is a symbol of unity for the country and the PPP has always respected the army,” he said.

Malik said when PPP MNA Aijaz Jakhrani passed some indecent remarks against the army, the co-chairperson expressed his displeasure and asked him to apologise. “Earlier the media used to say that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will not return to Pakistan and now you can see that he is back,” he said.

In reply to a question, he said Bilawal was already taking part in politics. “During the party meeting in Islamabad, many parliamentarians offered their seats to Bilawal but he will himself decide from where he will contest the elections,” he said.

To a question about Lyari’s gangster Uzair Jan Baloch’s recent video statement, Malik said he had not seen the video and would not comment on it. “Uzair Baloch can say anything against me, because I took action against him as interior minister,” he said.

Strict security measures were taken in and outside Naudero House and its gates were closed at 5:30pm due to which many local leaders and workers could not attend the function.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2015.