Former Protocol Officer to Benazir Bhutto and member of the PPP Federal Council Chaudhary Muhammad Aslam, Advocate, has formally sought registration of a murder case against former President Pervez Musharraf, former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, former IB chief Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah, two serving ministers and 8 high-ranking police and administration officers for their alleged involvement in her assassination.
Chaudhary Aslam, who was standing guard duty on Benazir Bhutto’s jeep’s running panel at the time of her assassination, submitted a 4-page complaint to the CPO Rawalpindi requesting for the registration of a formal FIR against the cited individuals. The application was officially received by the CPO office and given the diary number 1,497. The CPO told The News that the application has been sent to the legal branch.
Ch Aslam also named the then interior minister Lt Gen (R) Hamid Nawaz, Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema, Irfan Illahi, Saud Aziz, Yaseen Farooq and Khurram Shahzad accusing them of direct or indirect involvement in the conspiracy to kill Benazir.
Justifying the delay in filing the case, the complainant said that the applicant had been waiting and watching the stance of the federal and provincial governments, particularly the federal government of her own party which had suggested to conduct the investigation from the United Nations.
The United Nation Commission announced its terms of reference according to which it would be a fact-finding mission for determining the facts and circumstances of the assassination of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
It has been agreed between the government and the United Nation that the responsibility of determining criminal responsibility of perpetrators of assassination would remain with the Pakistani authorities. As the UN team will not be empowered to launch criminal proceedings under the circumstances mentioned above, it is therefore, requested to you to register an FIR against the mentioned accused, the application said.
When contacted, Spokesman of the President Farhatullah Babar said several people are in the habit of levelling allegations. Rejecting the allegations levelled against two serving ministers, Babar said the fair investigation into the case will bring out the truth.
A PPP leader said the former protocol officer is under the influence of party dissidents like Naheed Khan and her husband. He said such people continue attempts, though futile so far, to embarrass the government.
The News
Read also
