New twist in Benazir’s assassination probe

[Hulk]

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | New twist in Benazir?s assassination probe

ISLAMABAD: Investigations into murder of Benazir Bhutto take a new turn as Pakistani officials said they are searching for four military personnel who had disappeared just before the assassination of the former prime minister.

Interior ministry officials told DawnNews that the missing soldiers were retired army personnel who were among the eight army soldiers related to the main accused and a proclaimed offender in the case, Ibad Ur Rehman.

The interior ministry officials disclosed that investigators are facing difficulties in determining the exact status of these soldiers and so far no record had been provided. The four other soldiers are still serving the army.

These four army personnel had never been mentioned in the legal proceedings before an anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindi.

This is the first time that the investigators are probing into the possibility of army soldiers’ involvement into the assassination of the former prime minister.

A UN commission constituted to probe into the assassination of Ms. Bhutto is expected to submit its report by the end of this month.

When DawnNews tried to ascertain the view of military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas on this revelation, he could not be reached on his telephone despite repeated attempts.

 

[BATMAN]

Report has been leaked out?
It will be interesting when the army will analyse the report.
army intelligence had intercepted TTP cheif phone conversations and Zardari did not allowed post myrtem of dead body which was druged and the death of BB's security cheif???

 

[Gazzi]

No sympathy for this women BB got what was coming..especially when she goes on foreign news agencies and says if she becomes PM she will allow US troops on the ground in Pakistan......TRAITOR.......anyways, this is just an investigation which is being lead by numerous agencies and will undoubtedly lead to the search of persons for evidence and elimination purposes.

 

[Materialistic]

its a very strong point, why did Zardari not allowed for the post martem, he took a great advantage by giving an emotional excuse.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

wats the plan , to create atmosphere where the state institutions could become so hollow that it simply becomes a cakewalk ..!

 

[iioal malik]

Take zardari rehman malik n babar awan into 3rd degree Remand custody to punjab police for 20 days i bet u we will get the answer who killed bb

 

[sparklingway]

]No sympathy for this women BB got what was coming[/B]..especially when she goes on foreign news agencies and says if she becomes PM she will allow US troops on the ground in Pakistan......TRAITOR.......anyways, this is just an investigation which is being lead by numerous agencies and will undoubtedly lead to the search of persons for evidence and elimination purposes.

Shame on you. It's not as if I consider talking bad about the dead as wrong, it's about common decency and ethics. Saying "BB got what was coming", I really feel sorry for your state of mind and twisted thinking.

Thinking on such lines does not require any political affiliation.

 

[Gazzi]

Shame on you. It's not as if I consider talking bad about the dead as wrong, it's about common decency and ethics. Saying "BB got what was coming", I really feel sorry for your state of mind and twisted thinking.

Thinking on such lines does not require any political affiliation.

What gives Pakistan or anyone else the right to kill anyone else, i.e. terrorists or the likes, with regards to capital punishment.......she was a clear traitor from her remarks made whilst in exile in the West and should be treated as such.....but corruption runs to high levels, hence no accountability.

Suddenly when something is mentioned to not your liking it is shameful for you.......maybe you will have that attitude towards others being murdered and killed by PA also.....would you think the same about these people

 

[BATMAN]

Take zardari rehman malik n babar awan into 3rd degree Remand custody to punjab police for 20 days i bet u we will get the answer who killed bb

I can also bet on this... all three are the real culprits in this murder.

 

[qaisar52]

No sympathy for this women BB got what was coming..especially when she goes on foreign news agencies and says if she becomes PM she will allow US troops on the ground in Pakistan......TRAITOR.......anyways, this is just an investigation which is being lead by numerous agencies and will undoubtedly lead to the search of persons for evidence and elimination purposes.

The people just like you will never change.

 

[blackwater 007]

I have great respect for bibi. I can bet that "Mr 10% now grown to 50%" is responsible for her death. Do u agreee with me..... Bibi was a leader who cares for Pakistan.

 

[tamir]

No sympathy for this women BB got what was coming..especially when she goes on foreign news agencies and says if she becomes PM she will allow US troops on the ground in Pakistan......TRAITOR.......anyways, this is just an investigation which is being lead by numerous agencies and will undoubtedly lead to the search of persons for evidence and elimination purposes.

I never liked BB and did not agree with her policies. I wouldn't say that "she had it coming" Keep in mind that she was a mother as well.

 

[justanobserver]

Is this another new twist?

BB assassination probe: ‘Murder plot hatched at brigadier’s home

ISLAMABAD: A fresh probe has uncovered the role of nine men, including an army brigadier, in the December 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The assassination plot was hatched in the official residence of the army brigadier mentioned in the investigation report.

The findings of the probe, conducted under the interior ministry’s supervision, have deliberately been kept under wraps — even from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s leading lights. The report is in the possession of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and has only been seen by President Asif Ali Zardari in its entirety.

Earlier this week, President Zardari temporarily shelved plans to share the contents of the inquiry report. The president was keen to first take the army leadership into confidence before ordering the arrest of certain uniformed personnel over their alleged involvement in Benazir’s assassination.

Five of the nine co-conspirators are still alive, according to the inquiry report. They were the ones who hired the killers and gave them shelter and logistical support. The five men will now be formally charged-sheeted and put on trial. The remaining four men, including those sent to kill Benazir, are already dead.

Both logistical support and rehearsals for the murder were arranged by uniformed persons, who were part of the plot. Militant groups, which were working closely with the nine plotters, provided the manpower.

It has also been confirmed to The Express Tribune that the joint investigation team had traced two new mobile phone sims that were used to communicate on the day Benazir was assassinated.

Sources said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had drawn up a tough questionnaire for General Pervez Musharraf on the basis of investigations conducted by the joint investigation team. The questions were framed once the role of the nine plotters became clear and the inquiry team managed to lay its hands on the main accused who was part of the plot to eliminate Benazir.

Sources said that Zardari was still undecided on how to handle the more explosive contents of the inquiry report. They claimed that President Zardari had deliberately withheld presentation of the inquiry report before the PPP central executive committee in Naudero.

Although Zardari had agreed in principle to make the report public, he wanted to give it some more thought. The president and his party leaders are keen to fight off the somewhat popular impression that they are disinterested in tracking down Benazir’s killers.

At one stage, President Zardari had made up his mind to unveil the inquiry report on Benazir’s third death anniversary, sources said. But he changed his mind at the eleventh hour and told the interior minister to drop the idea for the time being. The absence of Bilawal Bhutto from the CEC meeting was only used as a pretext to delay the presentation of the report. The president did not want the present army leadership to be caught off guard when the names of certain uniformed persons feature in the report.

For their part, the military leadership signalled their willingness to cooperate with the civilian government and put any accused military officer on trial, sources said. Even when a cabinet inquiry team led by Rauf Chaudhry was constituted, the military leadership had backed the initiative to an extent that the director general of Military Intelligence, Nadeem Ejaz, was made available to a three-member inquiry committee.

Sources said that the committee chairman was even told by the top military authorities that a serving lieutenant general would be available round the clock for as many days as they need for questioning, till they reached any conclusion about his innocence or guilt.

The interior minister refused to comment on the inquiry report on the pretext that the matter was in a court of law. When asked whether he intended to share the findings of the probe with the PPP’s CEC members, the minister said he would definitely place the inquiry report before his party’s elders.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2010.

 

[pak-marine]

BB assassination probe: ‘Murder plot hatched at brigadier’s home’


ISLAMABAD: A fresh probe has uncovered the role of nine men, including an army brigadier, in the December 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The assassination plot was hatched in the official residence of the army brigadier mentioned in the investigation report.
The findings of the probe, conducted under the interior ministry’s supervision, have deliberately been kept under wraps — even from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s leading lights. The report is in the possession of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and has only been seen by President Asif Ali Zardari in its entirety.
Earlier this week, President Zardari temporarily shelved plans to share the contents of the inquiry report. The president was keen to first take the army leadership into confidence before ordering the arrest of certain uniformed personnel over their alleged involvement in Benazir’s assassination.
Five of the nine co-conspirators are still alive, according to the inquiry report. They were the ones who hired the killers and gave them shelter and logistical support. The five men will now be formally charged-sheeted and put on trial. The remaining four men, including those sent to kill Benazir, are already dead.

Both logistical support and rehearsals for the murder were arranged by uniformed persons, who were part of the plot. Militant groups, which were working closely with the nine plotters, provided the manpower.

It has also been confirmed to The Express Tribune that the joint investigation team had traced two new mobile phone sims that were used to communicate on the day Benazir was assassinated.
Sources said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had drawn up a tough questionnaire for General Pervez Musharraf on the basis of investigations conducted by the joint investigation team. The questions were framed once the role of the nine plotters became clear and the inquiry team managed to lay its hands on the main accused who was part of the plot to eliminate Benazir.
Sources said that Zardari was still undecided on how to handle the more explosive contents of the inquiry report. They claimed that President Zardari had deliberately withheld presentation of the inquiry report before the PPP central executive committee in Naudero.
Although Zardari had agreed in principle to make the report public, he wanted to give it some more thought. The president and his party leaders are keen to fight off the somewhat popular impression that they are disinterested in tracking down Benazir’s killers.
At one stage, President Zardari had made up his mind to unveil the inquiry report on Benazir’s third death anniversary, sources said. But he changed his mind at the eleventh hour and told the interior minister to drop the idea for the time being. The absence of Bilawal Bhutto from the CEC meeting was only used as a pretext to delay the presentation of the report. The president did not want the present army leadership to be caught off guard when the names of certain uniformed persons feature in the report.
For their part, the military leadership signalled their willingness to cooperate with the civilian government and put any accused military officer on trial, sources said. Even when a cabinet inquiry team led by Rauf Chaudhry was constituted, the military leadership had backed the initiative to an extent that the director general of Military Intelligence, Nadeem Ejaz, was made available to a three-member inquiry committee.

Sources said that the committee chairman was even told by the top military authorities that a serving lieutenant general would be available round the clock for as many days as they need for questioning, till they reached any conclusion about his innocence or guilt.
The interior minister refused to comment on the inquiry report on the pretext that the matter was in a court of law. When asked whether he intended to share the findings of the probe with the PPP’s CEC members, the minister said he would definitely place the inquiry report before his party’s elders.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2010.