10 July 2004	Saturday	21 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 9: The detained spouse of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday denied that any additional charge was framed against him by Swiss court in SGS and money-laundering references.

Talking to newsmen in the Central Jail, after hearing of the Justice Nizam murder case, he expressed his willingness to appear before the Swiss court after being acquitted in the cases lying pending against him.

When asked about the scenario in the country if Gen Pervez Musharraf shed his uniform, he was of the view that it would bring 'changes.' Reacting to official statement about presence of the Al-Qaida activists in Karachi, Mr Zardari questioned the government: "Do they want to make Karachi a new Beirut?" He was of the view that there could be a crime-free society in the country, if establishment factor was reduced.

About differences among the opposition parties regarding fielding of joint candidates to contest by-polls from Tharparker and Attock NA seats against the 'nominated' prime minister Shaukat Aziz, he said the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy comprised parties, which believed in democratic process.

He said the general elections would be held this year and claimed that the Pakistan Peoples' Party would return to power.

STATEMENT SUBMITTED: Asif Ali Zardari named ex-senator Saifur Rehman, his brother Mujeebur Rehman, former Sindh police inspector general Rana Maqbool, ex-DIG, Karachi, Farooq Amin Qureshi, and ex-jailer Najaf Mirza, in his statement, for conspiring to kill him.

Inspector Zia Ahmed of Artillery Maidan police station, on the orders of Additional District and Session Judge (South) Ms Sher Bano Karim, recorded his statement. The judge also ordered to lodge an FIR against the accused.

Mr Zardari, who was brought to Karachi today from Islamabad, stated in his statement recorded at the Central Jail, that on May 15, 1999, a CIA team visited the Karachi Central Jail at midnight to obtain his custody, which according to the CIA, was remanded by then judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Karachi. At that time, the jail authorities refused to give the custody, and on May 16, 1999, he was handed over to the CIA officials.

He stated that when he was being taken to the CIA Centre, Karachi, he felt his life was in danger, as no Rangers and Frontier Constabulary personnel had been deployed during his movement.

On reaching the CIA Centre, he stated, DSP Amant Javed told him that different teams would interrogate him in connection with several cases. Mr Asif stated that despite telling the police about his health and that he was under treatment, neither he was given proper food, nor allowed sleep, so that desirable statement could be obtained from him.

He stated that when he refused to give the 'desirable' statement, the police subjected him to torture with intentions to kill him and also tried to cut his jugular vein.

He alleged that he was tortured on the directives of then chief of the Ehtesab Cell, Saifur Rehman, his brother Mujeebur Rehman, then Sindh IG Rana Maqbool and then Karachi DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi.

He said that on May 19, 1999, two persons tried to cut his tongue with knife. Having seen blood oozing from his tongue, the police shifted him to the Aga Khan Hospital.

He said that the police, on the directives of high-ups, made two attempts to lodge suicide cases against him. He said a judicial inquiry was constituted and the judicial magistrate observed in his report that his wounds were not self-inflicted.

Mr Zardari was exonerated by the court last year in two cases of attempted suicide. Naming the accused, Mr Zardari said a conspiracy case for attempting to kill him, be lodged against the mentioned persons.

HEARING ADJOURNED: The district and session judge, Central, Syed Pir Ali Shah, on Friday adjourned hearing of the Justice Nizam Ahmed murder case against Asif Ali Zardari due to non-appearance of a co-accused.

"The matter was fixed today for indictment of accused, but one co-accused, Javed Akhtar Pirzada, did not appear before the court and adjournment was sought," Special Public Prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti said. He said that the court fixed Aug 2 for indictment of the accused.

Mr Zardari was brought to jail from the Ziauddin Hospital for appearing before the court amid tight security. Bilal Sheikh, Javed Akhtar Pirzada and Babar Sindhu, now on bail, are the co-accused in the double murder case. -PPI