29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

MULTAN, May 28: An alleged drug runner, Mushtaq Malik alias Black Prince, has stated before a local court that his statement against Asif Zardari in a drug smuggling case was extracted under duress.

Malik was brought to the court of additional district and session judge from a jail on Friday in a drug smuggling case (9/2001) registered with the Multan Anti-Narcotics Force.

He handed over a hand-written statement to the court to bring, what he said, the fact about his witness in the State vs Arif Baloch case on the record. Incarcerated spouse of former premier Benazir Bhutto has also been implicated in the drug smuggling case.

In his statement, Mushtaq Malik said the ANF got his physical remand on June 1, 2002, from a court in a 'fake' narcotics case of Burewala. He said the ANF took him to Lahore where he was subjected to severe physical and mental torture for 13 days to give statement against Asif Zardari.

On June 14, he was taken to the Kot Lakhpat Jail where the then district and session judge of Lahore Rana Zahid was hearing the case in the prison, he added. He said the uniformed ANF people remained in the court to keep him under pressure and he testified that Asif Zardari was also involved in the drugs trade.

Almost two years had passed but his statement in the case had yet to be cross-examined by both the prosecution and the defence, he continued. "I strongly deny my statement in the State vs Arif Baloch case as that was the outcome of an immense torture exerted on me by the ANF people," he pleaded and urged that his volunteer statement be sent to the court currently hearing the case against Asif Zardari in Lahore.

The case is reportedly being heard by an additional district and sessions judge in Lahore. Meanwhile, the judge issued on Friday summons for the ANF officials concerned for June 2.

Mushtaq Malik was undergoing a term in an American prison in a drug smuggling case in 1997 when some top officials of the then Ehtesab Bureau had reportedly met him.

Later, his term was cut short dramatically and he returned to Pakistan. He was arrested in 2001 by the Multan ANF with a big haul of hashish that was alleged to be exported to Europe.