Pakistan

BB murder case confessions: Army denies any knowledge

Army says it has no knowledge about the confession of former police officials about taking orders from army officials.

Salman Siddiqui December 25, 2010

KARACHI: The Pakistan military says it has no knowledge about the purported confession made by former Rawalpindi police officials Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad detained in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

According to media reports, the detained police officers were taking orders from high-ranking army intelligence officials.

Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar had claimed on Thursday that Aziz and Shahzad had admitted that four senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) officials were in contact with the detained police officials during and after the gun-and-bomb attack on the slain PPP chairperson.

Director-General of ISPR Major-General Athar Abbas told The Express Tribune that Pakistan Army has received no communication whatsoever about the matter. Referring to comments made by the public prosecutor in Rawalpindi, he said these were “just media statements”.

“We have (so far) received no written request to interrogate (any) ISI and MI personnel who were allegedly in contact with the then Rawalpindi police chief, Saud Aziz, and other police officers,” Abbas said.

The spokesperson said that the military is represented in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that has been constituted for the second time to investigate the assassination. “A senior ISI official is part of the joint team. However, there is no MI official on the JIT,” he said.

According to the UN report on Benazir Bhutto’s murder, the commission was told that the then Rawalpindi police chief Saud Aziz “did not act independently” and “was ordered to hose down the (crime) scene by Major-General Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad, the then director-general of MI.”

Although Gen Ahmad is no more the DG MI, he continues to serve at a high post. Taj is now an Adjutant General at GHQ.

ISPR spokesperson said that any request to interrogate any official would have to follow due process and no individual “can be made available via (just) media reports”.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (7)

Tariq Zuberi | 13 years ago | Reply what a sad state of affair, when the Murderers of The wife of sitting President can not be Identified or brought to Justis , How can ordinary people find justice in this Land of Pure Tariq Zuberi karachi

Farooq Dada Bhoi | 13 years ago | Reply Who assassinate Ms Bhutto ? This is another big question. An International Mediator Faisal Muhammed (Belgium Based) said after two days 30Th December 2007, "THE BENAZIR ASSASSINATION IS AN ENGINEERED ACT" which is done by various forces with common interest. he disclosed that "Some major elements are involved" first, Extremest who have sympathies with Lal Masjid, Second, Taliban supported internal Establishment, Third, very closed relational of Benazir Bhutto who pressurised Benazir to continue her activity's after danger attempt in Karachi "Karsaz" and last one is A foreign state element who have big influence in Pakistan's politics,International Media quoted Mr Faisal's statement. I also agree Mr Faisal's indication, because 24/08/2007 in an interview with Umar Cheema "THE NEWS" he provide very clear indication of Benazir's feature in Pakistan. I think The UN commission report will safe real culprits. Farooq Dada Karachi

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Mike Sullivan | 13 years ago | Reply @Cautious, please put you affairs in order first. India has a fair share of unsolved mysteries that you can suggest innovative and original solutions to.

Shemrez Nauman Afzal | 13 years ago | Reply Excuse me Mr. Siddiqui, but perchance you are confusing Nadeem Taj with Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad, two completely different Army officers? Lt Gen Nadeem Taj is currently Adjutant General GHQ and former DG ISI, while Maj Gen Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad is the former DG MI and his last posting was Commander, Logistics Area, Gujranwala, at which he has apparently been superseded.

Romm | 13 years ago | Reply @cautious. Menial Indians to stay out of internal matters of Pakistan.

Zahid | 13 years ago | Reply Although PPP came to power two times under the leadership of BB, however it could not even initiate any inquiry of the judicial murder of ZA Bhutto. It is interesting that role of army, especially General Zia, is no secret in the removal of ZA Bhutto. Despite this open secret, PPP did not dare to take any action against military establishment. Murtaza became another victim of the same establishment, and it is another open secret. I am amazed why people think that PPP can unveil and bring the real master planners and culprits of the tragic murder of BB to justice. Does it sound rational?

Cautious | 13 years ago | Reply Since your own military and intelligence services are implicated in the assassination they should be removed from participation in the crime. A special prosecutor reporting directly to your Supreme Court should run this investigation and those high level military/intelligence officers implicated should be placed under arrest until this is sorted out.

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