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| 18 June 2004 | Friday | 29 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 |
Benazir demands judicial probe
LAHORE, June 17: Condemning in 'strongest terms' the murder of Mr Munawwar Suharwardy in Karachi, PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto demanded an inquiry by a commission comprising retired judges Nasir Aslam Zahid and Mamoon Kazi.
Addressing journalists in Lahore by phone from London on Thursday, she said she suspected that militants of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Gen Pervez Musharraf and elements who had made Dr A.Q.Khan the scapegoat to achieve their own designs, might be responsible for the murder.
The PPP, she said, would mourn Mr Suharwardy's death for three days, the mode of which would be decided by the party's divisional and district leaders. The matter, she said, would also be raised in parliament. She praised the services of Mr Suharwardy and said that he was a dedicated worker.
She said the murder should be thoroughly probed because a number of such tragic cases remained unsolved. This is a politically motivated murder which, if ignored, would lead to more tragedies, she warned.
She said Gen Musharraf should be asked what he precisely meant when he had threatened to 'kick' her. In response to a question, the PPP chairperson said the murder could be a message for her to delay her return to the country.
But, she said, she would not change her plans and would announce her schedule 30 days before taking a Pakistan-bound flight. She said that although she was in favour of talks with the government, there was no chance for the two sides coming across the table because Gen Musharraf wanted to crush her party.
"Talks are a good idea, but Gen Musharraf is trying to crush the PPP," she alleged while answering a question. "The government wants to impose dictatorship. They want to crush the PPP. So, there's no chance of talks between the two sides," she said.
Ms Bhutto alleged that the government was responsible for defections from her party. She told a questioner that the government might want to keep her party out of elections, but the PPP would take part at all costs.
She said the political party registered by some of her former colleagues was fake, and was destined to be defeated in elections. She said the electorate would not be hoodwinked. In response to a question, Ms Bhutto said political parties should continue their struggle for democracy.
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