KARACHI,February 22 2012: Islamabad will issue red warrant through Interpol to arrest former military dictator Pervez Musharraf and bring him back to Pakistan to face charges of his involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said Minister of Interior Rehman Malik here. He did not say when the red warrant will be issued.“We will bring Musharraf back to the country soon with a red notice issued through Interpol,” Malik told lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly. “We are in the final phase of doing this,” he said.
Musharraf left the country in 2008 after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerged as the largest single party in general elections and since then he in in self-exile and shuttles between London and Dubai besides visiting United States. He was given guard of honour before he flew to London to settle there. Malik was briefing the Sindh Assembly members on the murder of the PPP chairperson in Rawalpindi. He informed the lawmakers that the former president denied the promised VVIP status security to Benazir Bhutto and that negligence led to the assassination of the former prime minister. “Musharraf has been declared proclaimed offender in the case of Benazir murder case on the grounds that she was deliberately denied VVIP security status. We will involve Interpol and issue red warrant to bring bank Musharraf to Pakistan,” the minister said. Malik, who was a close aide of Benazir, accused Musharraf of refusing to provide her with adequate security and of threatening her by telephone when she was in Washington before returning to Pakistan in October 2007.
The interior minister in his lengthy briefing said that before Benazir’s arrival, Musharraf in the presence of American lobbyist Mark Segel, told her not to come back. “Musharraf threatened her on phone: If you come to Pakistan, you will be responsible for the consequences. If you come to Pakistan before the elections, I will not be responsible for your security,” said Malik. But she refused and decided to return home. Malik quoted Benazir as replying: “General, the decision to come to Pakistan is mine, not yours.” While detailing the investigations, the minister said there was a phone call regarding the incident in our notice and after a gap of 1-1/2 years the SIM card was used again on the basis of which the culprit was arrested. Malik added that there were multiple attempts on the life of the former prime minister and one attack was planned by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his brother. Malik was confident that the case would reach the logical conclusion soon. “The then CPO Saud Aziz is also being held responsible for the deliberate destruction of evidences,” claimed Malik. The minister revealed that the same Taleban group which has been held responsible in the investigation report was also responsible for carrying out other attacks on Benazir in the past. Malik also claimed that terrorist Saeed Bilal, with the help of Qari Ismail, carried out the suicide bomb attack on Benazir’s rally on October 18. “Before leaving for the attack, Saeed changed his clothes to mingle into the gathering. The DNA samples taken from his body parts after the attack matched with the DNA samples collected from the clothes at his house.” Chief Investigator of the case Khalid Qureshi revealed to the Sindh Assembly that Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack on Benazir. He said that the people recruited to carry out the task were all trained in the Haqqania madrassa in South Waziristan. “On December 20, in room number 11 of Haqqania madrassa, Baitullah Maisood gave money for carrying out the task.” All the suspects of the attack were traced after the main accused Hasnain Gul one day mistakenly called his landline number in Rawalpindi. “All terrorists have strict instructions of not calling any landline number,” Qureshi said.
Musharraf left the country in 2008 after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerged as the largest single party in general elections and since then he in in self-exile and shuttles between London and Dubai besides visiting United States. He was given guard of honour before he flew to London to settle there. Malik was briefing the Sindh Assembly members on the murder of the PPP chairperson in Rawalpindi. He informed the lawmakers that the former president denied the promised VVIP status security to Benazir Bhutto and that negligence led to the assassination of the former prime minister. “Musharraf has been declared proclaimed offender in the case of Benazir murder case on the grounds that she was deliberately denied VVIP security status. We will involve Interpol and issue red warrant to bring bank Musharraf to Pakistan,” the minister said. Malik, who was a close aide of Benazir, accused Musharraf of refusing to provide her with adequate security and of threatening her by telephone when she was in Washington before returning to Pakistan in October 2007.
The interior minister in his lengthy briefing said that before Benazir’s arrival, Musharraf in the presence of American lobbyist Mark Segel, told her not to come back. “Musharraf threatened her on phone: If you come to Pakistan, you will be responsible for the consequences. If you come to Pakistan before the elections, I will not be responsible for your security,” said Malik. But she refused and decided to return home. Malik quoted Benazir as replying: “General, the decision to come to Pakistan is mine, not yours.” While detailing the investigations, the minister said there was a phone call regarding the incident in our notice and after a gap of 1-1/2 years the SIM card was used again on the basis of which the culprit was arrested. Malik added that there were multiple attempts on the life of the former prime minister and one attack was planned by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his brother. Malik was confident that the case would reach the logical conclusion soon. “The then CPO Saud Aziz is also being held responsible for the deliberate destruction of evidences,” claimed Malik. The minister revealed that the same Taleban group which has been held responsible in the investigation report was also responsible for carrying out other attacks on Benazir in the past. Malik also claimed that terrorist Saeed Bilal, with the help of Qari Ismail, carried out the suicide bomb attack on Benazir’s rally on October 18. “Before leaving for the attack, Saeed changed his clothes to mingle into the gathering. The DNA samples taken from his body parts after the attack matched with the DNA samples collected from the clothes at his house.” Chief Investigator of the case Khalid Qureshi revealed to the Sindh Assembly that Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack on Benazir. He said that the people recruited to carry out the task were all trained in the Haqqania madrassa in South Waziristan. “On December 20, in room number 11 of Haqqania madrassa, Baitullah Maisood gave money for carrying out the task.” All the suspects of the attack were traced after the main accused Hasnain Gul one day mistakenly called his landline number in Rawalpindi. “All terrorists have strict instructions of not calling any landline number,” Qureshi said.