Politics

16 years on Benazir Bhutto assassination remains unsolved

Published

7 months ago

Farwa

Mystery surrounding assassination of Benazir continues to grow.
Despite threats, she addressed addresed the rally in Rawalpindi.
Scotland Yard team investigated killing of Benazir Bhutto.

ISLAMABAD: It was the day 16 years ago when one of Pakistan’s most loved and popular political leaders, Ms Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in a suicide bomb blast-cum-gun shooting attack outside the famous Liaquat Bagh as she was about to depart after addressing a big election rally on 27 December 2007.

The events unfolding soon after the unfortunate incident continued to make the incident murkier, casting long shadows of doubts and suspicions as the nation seemed to be sucked in a pal of gloom and despair. The public reaction to the violent death of the most popular political leader was spontaneous and understandable.

With each passing day, the mystery surrounding the assassination of Benazir Bhutto continued to grow. First with the change of the route of her return after addressing the rally, a hurried washing of the crime scene by the administration, washing away critical evidence, and a shake-up in top local bureaucracy.

Finally, a press conference by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, announcing the incident being a terror strike and even releasing intercepts of alleged terrorists’ telephonic conversations and even sketches of two persons purported as the alleged terrorists belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

BB’s party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won the general elections in January 2008 with a thin majority and formed a coalition government and with that, the demand for a fair and independent investigation into the unfortunate incident grew louder and louder.

The military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, called an investigation team from Scotland Yard of the United Kingdom to investigate the killing of Benazir Bhutto and submit a report on January 8, 2008. However, former President Asif Ali Zardari, the spouse of Benazir Bhutto, and the Pakistan People’s Party rejected the Scotland Yard report and openly accused General Pervez Musharraf of being behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, while declaring it inept and full of doubts.

There were repeated demands for an independent inquiry by the UN into the incident by the PPP government and eventually, Bank Ki-Moon, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations announced in February 2009 for sending a high-level UN Fact Finding Mission to look into the incident.

The UN Fact-Finding Mission arrived in Islamabad on 16 July 2009 and started their job, during which they held extensive discussions with concerned persons and departments. The UN Fact Finding Mission eventually released its report but that was vague and without any conclusive remarks regarding identifying the culprits behind the tragic incident.

The UN Fact-Finding Mission report was rejected by former President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP citing reasons that it contains no substance and no efforts were made by the UN Mission to point out the people and the elements behind the gruesome suicide attack on two-time Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms Benazir Bhutto.

It may be recalled that the former military dictator, Gen Pervez Musharraf, himself admitted that there was credible information available that Benazir Bhutto would be targeted by the ‘terrorists’ and even said that the then Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Gen Nadeem Taj, personally met Benazir Bhutto less than 24 hours ago (on December 26) at her residence and tried to convince her not to go to Liaquat Bagh to address her last public rally ahead of the general elections.

However, reportedly, Benazir Bhutto refused to buy the argument of DG ISI regarding threats to her life and the possibility of a lethal attack aimed at eliminating her by purported terrorist groups, especially Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The meeting was held in the backdrop of a shooting incident near Nowshera on the convoy of Benazir Bhutto when she was returning from Peshawar after addressing a public rally.

She went ahead with her plan of addressing the rally in Rawalpindi and fell victim to the dastardly suicide bombing-cum-gun shooting attack minutes after she left Liaquat Bagh after addressing a very successful rally.

Over the last 16 years, there have been multiple theories behind the elimination of Benazir Bhutto but there are hardly any solid evidence available to corroborate those theories.

But there were enough events that followed BB’s assassination which strongly indicated that all out efforts were made to hide the facts to confuse things and mislead the investigators who tried to solve the ‘mystery’.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) remained in power from 2008 till 2013 but was unable to take any meaningful steps to find the people and forces behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the two-time Prime Minister of Pakistan and as the day marks the 16th anniversary of her violent death the mystery is still unsolved.

Latest News

Containers were used to seal the Red Zone before JI’s sit-in at D-Chowk.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Authorities in Islamabad have blocked off the Red Zone by erecting containers in front of today’s (Friday) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demonstration and the Jamaat-i-Islami sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami is scheduled to stage a sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a nationwide protest against the country’s soaring inflation and recent spike in electricity rates.

Containers have been used to block access to the Red Zone’s main crossroads, D Chowk, Nadra Chowk, and Sarina Chowk.

ISLAMABAD, PUNJAB SECTION 144

In the meantime, in response to PTI and JI plans for statewide rallies, the federal and Punjabi governments enforced Section 144 in Islamabad and Punjab. Section 144 will be in force from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, per the notification that was released in this regard.

Rallies, sit-ins, protests, and rallies are prohibited from July 26 to July 28, according to a letter from the Home Department. It said that terrorists may find public gatherings to be an easy target and stated that the decision had been made with the threat of terrorism in mind.

In contrast, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem claimed in a statement that police had raided the residences of JI officials across the nation.

In an attempt to break up the protest, he said, police had targeted JI leaders and activists. He also alleged that multiple instances of police raids, arrests, and harassment of women had occurred in various towns.

GOVT ADVISED

The government was forewarned by Jamaat Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman earlier on Thursday that it would face consequences if the party was barred from accessing Islamabad for their scheduled demonstration against inflation and an increase in electricity prices.

He stated in a statement that their belief is in peaceful political protest as a means of securing public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and the Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he added.

“The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”

According to the JI, convoys are in route from all around the nation to participate in the sit-in. He encouraged the administration to offer a location for the protest, highlighting that it is their constitutional and democratic right to speak up for the country.

“Any political party that wishes to participate” was invited, and he welcomed them all.

Prior to the sit-in, police raided the residences of JI leaders and officials in many parts of Punjab and Rawalpindi, making multiple arrests.

Ameerul Azim, the central secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was not able to be arrested during the police raid; instead, Shaukat Mahmood, his driver, was taken into custody.

Latest News

The Socioeconomic Registry of Punjab. Real data gathering is essential to effective governance. Maryam

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, announced that the province will introduce the “Apna Ghar Scheme,” adding that accurate data collecting is necessary in order to provide social security to the impoverished.

At the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry’s opening event in Lahore, the Maryam announced that the province’s government has started the “Roshan Gharana” project, which aims to provide 4.5 million individuals with solar panels on manageable installment plans.

Maryam Nawaz, who emphasized the necessity of centralized data, stated that data has become increasingly important in recent years since it makes basic amenities more accessible and aids in the classification of the poor.

She stated that several initiatives are being taken by the Punjabi government to assist those with disabilities.

The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is dedicated to providing relief to the poor, according to Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, who spoke on the occasion.

The government, she noted, is concentrating on health and education services.

Latest News

The ECP asks the SC to clarify the ruling in the PTI reserved seat case.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Seeking clarity on a court ruling concerning the allotment of particular seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved the Supreme Court on Monday.

ECP members reportedly agreed unanimously on the SC’s decision to consult the SC.

Particularly cited under Paragraph 10 of the Supreme Court ruling, the ECP has called attention to vagueness in the ruling. In order to determine which body is in charge of party certificate issuance, the ECP is asking the Supreme Court for advice.

Concerning the validity of PTI’s party structure, the ECP pointed out that the organisation hasn’t held internal elections.

In the lack of distinct party organisation and intra-party elections, there is ambiguity over which certifications hold recognition.

Position of ECP

The absence of intra-party elections, according to ECP sources, prevents Tehreek-e-Insaaf from operating as a legitimate organisation.

A plea for clarification on party certificate authority and recognition has been made to the Supreme Court by the ECP.

Resolving the existing ambiguity and guaranteeing proper electoral processes will depend on the Supreme Court’s clarity on these issues.

Continue reading: ECP orders implementation of SC ruling regarding PTI reserved seats

Previous to this, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seat verdict will be implemented, according to a Friday announcement made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of Pakistan.

On Friday, a meeting of ECP members was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

If the SC ruling is being carried out with any judicial decision becoming a roadblock, ECP has resolved to seek guidance from the judges in the room.

“The Supreme Court will be consulted for additional guidance in the event of any obstacles,” the ECP statement stated.

ECP declines resignation demand and political party criticism.

The chief election commissioner and members have been the target of persistent attack from a political party, which the highest electoral authority has sharply denounced. No political name was mentioned by the ECP.

The ECP called the demand for resignation from the party “absurd” and rejected the political party’s unjustified criticism, which had been made continuously.

Regardless of the pressure, the statement said, ECP would keep up its adherence to the law and the Constitution.