Musharraf says Zardari responsible for Benazir, Murtaza Bhutto’s murders

KARACHI: Ex-president Pervez Musharraf on Thursday leveled serious allegations on former president Asif Zardari and said that he was behind murders of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her brother Murtaza Bhutto, ARY News reported.

“Zardari is responsible for ruining the Bhutto family,” he said in a video statement.

He said only Zardari got benefit of Benazir’s death. He alleged that Zardari had secret ties with the then Afghan president Hamid Karzai and Afghanistan’s secret agencies.

“They got her murdered by Baitullah Mehsood (former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander) and his accomplices,” he said.

He said on the contrary Baitullah Mehsood was his deadly enemy.

Musharraf said “this I am saying specially addressing to Bilawal, Aseefa and Bakhtawar Bhutto.”

He said he had nothing to do with murder of the former PM, rather it had put him into trouble.

BB attended the public meeting for two hours and safely took back her seat in the vehicle and then who phoned her to get out of the vehicle, this should be investigated that who got roof of the bullet-proof vehicle opened, he said.

Read More: ATC acquits five suspects, declares Musharraf absconder

After a marathon trial, an anti-terrorism court announced the verdict in December 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on August 31, 2017, declaring former army chief Pervez Musharraf as absconder while acquitting five accused said to be associated with banned outfit over lack of evidences.

The court also ordered confiscation of the movable and immovable property of Musharraf, who was implicated  in the case in February 2011.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had rejected the court decision and said the biggest facilitator of the murder was still at large.

“Musharraf, the biggest facilitator (of this murder) was only declared fugitive and the case was closed, this is not justice,” Bilawal said.

The former president Musharraf said providing the slain leader security was not his responsibility, rather Asif Zardari’s prison friend Khalid Shehnshah was supervising her security who was also later killed following the murder of Benazir.

Benazir was assassinated on December 27, 2007, in Rawalpindi, while campaigning for general elections scheduled for January 2008.

Responding to Musharraf’s allegations, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Khursheed Shah asked why did Pervez Musharraf not tell all this before the court when he knew it.

“Musharraf’s statement strengthens the doubt that he is involved in BB’s murder.  Earlier, I may have some doubt, but now it is crystal clear that he is involved in the assassination so he should be brought back to Pakistan and should be tried in Benazir murder case,” he said.