Musharraf asks UK team to get to ‘bottom’: BB’s assassination
By Ihtasham ul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday called upon the Scotland Yard to make all-out efforts to get to the “bottom of the issue” in the investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
“He (president) asked the UK detectives to make all-out efforts to get to the bottom of the issue, for which the government is ready to further provide all kinds of cooperation,” spokesman Maj-Gen (retd) Rashid Qureshi told Dawn after the investigators called on President Musharraf.
He said President Musharraf inquired of the team whether it needed more support from the country’s security and intelligence agencies.
“You do your best and we will do our best to know the truth about the death of the Pakistan People’s Party leader,” Rashid Qureshi quoted the president as saying.
He was asked whether the Scotland Yard team discussed with the president reports about the elimination of evidence after the entire area outside the Liaquat Bagh was cleaned up.
“The Scotland Yard team did not raise this issue nor did the president talk about it,” the spokesman said.
“We want to know how it happened and why it happened,” Maj-Gen (retd) Qureshi further said quoting President Musharraf.
He thanked the UK government for its prompt response to Pakistan’s request.
President Musharraf expressed the hope that the forensic and technical expertise of the Scotland Yard would greatly supplement the efforts of investigating the assassination.
The government of Pakistan, the president said, was committed to unearthing the evidence, finding out the truth and bringing those responsible for this heinous crime to justice.
He assured the British investigators of fullest cooperation of Pakistan’s investigating agencies.
Responding to a question, the spokesman said that the British team left satisfied after the meeting.
This was basically a courtesy call on President Musharraf by the Scotland Yard team during which issues pertaining to the death of Ms Bhutto were discussed in detail and the president assured them that the government would not hide anything and wherever they wanted to go, could go, and they would be provided all the necessary support, Mr Qureshi added.
Asked how long the investigation will continue and that whether he expected any preliminary report by the Scotland Yard soon, the spokesman said that it all depended on the team to say anything about it.
“From our side, they will continue receiving all the needed support from any agency, any organisation or any individual,” he said.
