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By: Special Correspondent | May 26, 2012, 11:13 am
WASHINGTON - Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says he holds former President Pervez Musharraf responsible for the murder of his mother Benazir Bhutto, as he vowed to play a larger political role in the next election.
"He (Musharraf) murdered my mother ... I hold him responsible for the murder of my mother," he said in an interview with CNN on Thursday evening.
On another TV channel, Oxford-educated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called on the United States to apologize for the drone strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Dealing OXford-educated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said her assassination was due to a combination of Islamic extremists, and Musharraf's regime.
"Al-Qaeda issued the instructions to do it, the Taliban... carried out the actual attack, while Pervez Musharraf purposely sabotaged my mother's security when he knew there was going to be attacks, so she would be eliminated."
Asked why he was saying so, he said "because he (Musharraf) was aware of the threats. He himself had threatened her in the past. He said your security is directly linked to our relationship and our cooperation."
"When he imposed emergency and it was clear that he was pulling the wool over our eyes, he was not interested in returning democracy to Pakistan and my mother started to speak out more against him, the security decreased," said Bilawal, who is currently on a 8-day US visit.
About his future plans, Bilawal Bhutto zardari said, "I am chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party. I didn't campaign in last election. I went to university. I don't feel like at the moment I have the mandate to take a particularly active role. I look forward to campaigning in the next election and playing a larger role then.
"I would like to help my people in anyway I can. It's difficult times in Pakistan and we all have to help," Bhutto said when asked would he someday like to be the leader of his country.
Responding to a question on his safety in Pakistan, he said, he was not worried.
"I am confident Pakistani government will provide me with the adequate security, unlike the government at the time that sabotaged my mother's security in Pakistan," Bilawal said.
Dealing with the Salala deaths on his MSNBC interview, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, "I think that an immediate apology was the humane, appropriate thing to do. I'd like the American public to consider what their reaction would have been had 24 American soldiers been killed in such a way on the border with Mexico. I think an apology would have been appropriate."
When pressed on whether too much time has passed for the U.S. government to offer an apology, he said, "it's never too late for an apology."
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari acknowledged that relations between the United States and Pakistan have "deteriorated over the last year," but said he is hopeful the two countries will resolve their differences and work together for a common goal.
Tensions were brought into focus last weekend at the NATO summit in Chicago when President Barack Obama snubbed President Zardari by refusing to meet with him after Pakistan failed to reopen supply routes to Afghanistan that have been closed to NATO forces since the airstrike.
Relations came under further strained Wednesday when the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden was sentenced to 33 years in prison for high treason," prompting outrage from lawmakers on both sides of Congress.
The PPP chairman responded to anger felt in the United States by pointing out that it's a crime for anyone to collaborate with foreign intelligence, even if it's with a friendly country.
"We have independent judiciary, actually the democratic government of Pakistan restored an independent judiciary for the first time in our history. Whether I wanted him out or not is irrelevant. I can't put pressure on the judiciary to decide either way," he said.
About American expectation that President Asif Ali Zardari would announce reopening of the supply routes at NATO summit, the PPP leader pointed out that his father was extended an unconditional invitation to attend the Chicago meeting.
The relationship between Pakistan and the United States has deteriorated over the last year. We weathered through a series of crises from the Raymond Davis fiasco, when a CIA agent shot and killed innocent Pakistani civilians in the back in the streets of Lahore to the Abbottabad incident to this Salala raid by NATO that killed 24 innocent Pakistani soldiers and did not result in an apology.
However, he noted, both countries are working together and I am hopeful that they will resolve their differences because we have a common goal and we can only achieve it together.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also asked about American frustration on Pakistan imposing heavy duties on transportation of supplies despite the country having received aid from the United States.
We dont measure our soldiers blood in aid," he replied.
He said he understood Americas situation. Therefore I urge them to please apologize for the loss of lives their action caused on the border with Pakistan.
The PPP leader said continuous bombing into Pakistani territory by American drones is not only counterproductive in the war on terror but it is also violation of our sovereignty and must end. "It is also a violation of US war powers act as well as international law,", he added.
America was supposed to be the city on the hill, setting an example to the world, he said, hoping that the United States returns to that status soon.
He disagreed with the contention that the drone strikes eliminated big al-Qaeda operatives. The drone attacks have never caught any big boys. They have been counterproductive and have caused civilian casualties, he said.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it has been Pakistans intelligence cooperation that has led to capture of al-Qaeda operatives and this counterterror contribution is more than by any other nation.
He rejected the suggestion that al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had some complicity from Pakistan in hiding for several years. In this respect, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the US found a treasure trove of evidence from the Abbotabad compound none of which points to any link between Osama bin Laden, the Pakistani government.
WASHINGTON - Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says he holds former President Pervez Musharraf responsible for the murder of his mother Benazir Bhutto, as he vowed to play a larger political role in the next election.
"He (Musharraf) murdered my mother ... I hold him responsible for the murder of my mother," he said in an interview with CNN on Thursday evening.
On another TV channel, Oxford-educated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called on the United States to apologize for the drone strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Dealing OXford-educated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said her assassination was due to a combination of Islamic extremists, and Musharraf's regime.
"Al-Qaeda issued the instructions to do it, the Taliban... carried out the actual attack, while Pervez Musharraf purposely sabotaged my mother's security when he knew there was going to be attacks, so she would be eliminated."
Asked why he was saying so, he said "because he (Musharraf) was aware of the threats. He himself had threatened her in the past. He said your security is directly linked to our relationship and our cooperation."
"When he imposed emergency and it was clear that he was pulling the wool over our eyes, he was not interested in returning democracy to Pakistan and my mother started to speak out more against him, the security decreased," said Bilawal, who is currently on a 8-day US visit.
About his future plans, Bilawal Bhutto zardari said, "I am chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party. I didn't campaign in last election. I went to university. I don't feel like at the moment I have the mandate to take a particularly active role. I look forward to campaigning in the next election and playing a larger role then.
"I would like to help my people in anyway I can. It's difficult times in Pakistan and we all have to help," Bhutto said when asked would he someday like to be the leader of his country.
Responding to a question on his safety in Pakistan, he said, he was not worried.
"I am confident Pakistani government will provide me with the adequate security, unlike the government at the time that sabotaged my mother's security in Pakistan," Bilawal said.
Dealing with the Salala deaths on his MSNBC interview, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, "I think that an immediate apology was the humane, appropriate thing to do. I'd like the American public to consider what their reaction would have been had 24 American soldiers been killed in such a way on the border with Mexico. I think an apology would have been appropriate."
When pressed on whether too much time has passed for the U.S. government to offer an apology, he said, "it's never too late for an apology."
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari acknowledged that relations between the United States and Pakistan have "deteriorated over the last year," but said he is hopeful the two countries will resolve their differences and work together for a common goal.
Tensions were brought into focus last weekend at the NATO summit in Chicago when President Barack Obama snubbed President Zardari by refusing to meet with him after Pakistan failed to reopen supply routes to Afghanistan that have been closed to NATO forces since the airstrike.
Relations came under further strained Wednesday when the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden was sentenced to 33 years in prison for high treason," prompting outrage from lawmakers on both sides of Congress.
The PPP chairman responded to anger felt in the United States by pointing out that it's a crime for anyone to collaborate with foreign intelligence, even if it's with a friendly country.
"We have independent judiciary, actually the democratic government of Pakistan restored an independent judiciary for the first time in our history. Whether I wanted him out or not is irrelevant. I can't put pressure on the judiciary to decide either way," he said.
About American expectation that President Asif Ali Zardari would announce reopening of the supply routes at NATO summit, the PPP leader pointed out that his father was extended an unconditional invitation to attend the Chicago meeting.
The relationship between Pakistan and the United States has deteriorated over the last year. We weathered through a series of crises from the Raymond Davis fiasco, when a CIA agent shot and killed innocent Pakistani civilians in the back in the streets of Lahore to the Abbottabad incident to this Salala raid by NATO that killed 24 innocent Pakistani soldiers and did not result in an apology.
However, he noted, both countries are working together and I am hopeful that they will resolve their differences because we have a common goal and we can only achieve it together.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also asked about American frustration on Pakistan imposing heavy duties on transportation of supplies despite the country having received aid from the United States.
We dont measure our soldiers blood in aid," he replied.
He said he understood Americas situation. Therefore I urge them to please apologize for the loss of lives their action caused on the border with Pakistan.
The PPP leader said continuous bombing into Pakistani territory by American drones is not only counterproductive in the war on terror but it is also violation of our sovereignty and must end. "It is also a violation of US war powers act as well as international law,", he added.
America was supposed to be the city on the hill, setting an example to the world, he said, hoping that the United States returns to that status soon.
He disagreed with the contention that the drone strikes eliminated big al-Qaeda operatives. The drone attacks have never caught any big boys. They have been counterproductive and have caused civilian casualties, he said.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it has been Pakistans intelligence cooperation that has led to capture of al-Qaeda operatives and this counterterror contribution is more than by any other nation.
He rejected the suggestion that al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had some complicity from Pakistan in hiding for several years. In this respect, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the US found a treasure trove of evidence from the Abbotabad compound none of which points to any link between Osama bin Laden, the Pakistani government.
