Material witness in Benazir murder case ‘amends’ his statement

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Retired Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, former director general of the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC), told a Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday that he had addressed a press conference following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto after discussing it with the spymasters and then secretary interior.

Read: Benazir Bhutto murder trial lingers on

This statement differs from the one the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) produced before the ATC on February 7, 2011, where the prosecution included Brig Cheema as a prime witness against former president retired General Pervez Musharraf, in connection with the Benazir murder case.

Also read: Missing Benazir

As per Brig Cheema’s previous statement, submitted by the FIA along with case challan, the former DG NCMC was quoted as saying that a day after Ms Bhutto’s assassination, on December 28, 2007, he held a press conference on the advice of Gen Musharraf. In the FIA’s version of Brig Cheema’ statement, he maintains that he held the press conference, in compliance with Gen Musharraf’s orders, to dispel the negativity against the regime, that prevailed in the aftermath of the assassination.

Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema says he was told by spymasters to present Baitullah’s video claiming responsibility for assassination

A reporter who attended the press conference in question told Dawn that during the presser, Brig Cheema had said that the cause of Ms Bhutto’s death was an injury to the head, sustained when her head hit the sunroof lever of her own vehicle. The second thing he disclosed during the press conference was that Baitullah Mehsud, who was the leader of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan at the time, had claimed the responsibility for the attack in a video message.

Brig Cheema had also shared the video — where Mehsud had indirectly claimed responsibility for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto — with members of the press corps.

But on Friday, when the prosecution produced Brig Cheema as a witness before the ATC, he told the court that the decision to hold the press conference was taken by then-interior secretary Kamal Shah.

Also read| Benazir was not killed by Taliban: Imran

He said that before the press conference, he was summoned to the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), where he met the interior secretary and the heads of the ISI, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau.

Also read: Kayani doubted Taliban killed Benazir, recounts UN investigator

He told the court that the spymasters briefed them about their meeting with Gen Musharraf and handed him the video and instructed him to hold a press conference to this effect. He also told the court that he also consulted then-interior minister retired Lt-Gen Hamid Nawaz before holding the press conference.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Pakistan

Malik Asad is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with two decades of experience covering legal affairs, judicial developments, and the civil bureaucracy. He can be found on X at @asadrp.

Eidul Fitr likely to fall on March 21: Suparco

‘No matter what, no matter when’: PM’s spokesperson reiterates support for Saudi Arabia ‘before it is needed’

MNAs’ salaries cut by 25pc as National Assembly joins austerity drive

I. Ahmed

Jan 17, 2015 08:58am

“Coming events cast their shadows”!!

Recommend 0

ahmed

Jan 17, 2015 09:12am

what a mess !

Recommend 0

rana1

Jan 17, 2015 09:29am

@ahmed .....what a twist!

Recommend 0

Riaz

Jan 17, 2015 09:43am

How can we blame the Courts when even persons at such a level twist facts to mislead nation. There should be some law to punish such crimes.

Recommend 0

Imranahmed4330 Noorani

Jan 17, 2015 09:48am

Failure at every business as always. Responsible list always gets larger and larger. Military . Taliban. Intel. Civil bureaucracy. People of pak. Politicians are all confusing in all matters. To make things worse so called national media is also spreading confusion to every mind of nation.

Recommend 0

Javed Zafar

Jan 17, 2015 11:01am

Maybe the truth is coming out.... but can we be sure that this time it's the truth and not the last time? What a low moral level have we fallen to. Everyone lives for themselves... How are we grooming our future generation and what are we going to leave them to live for. Shameful state of affairs.

Recommend 0

Asif Kamil

Jan 17, 2015 11:29am

Ordinary citiczen will never know the truth. She is gone and let's move on with daily life . Sad

Recommend 0

Anopa

Jan 17, 2015 12:02pm

Simply pathetic. This case illustrates why pakistan is still struggling to get its act together against the terrorists. It is common knowledge that the taliban were behind this and murdered BB. Why cant the politicians and the media just call this out for what it is? Instead everyone is politicising and spinning the issue to suit their agenda: the PPP as it gets them sympathy; the media as it gives them something sensational to write about; the politicians as it gives them a tool to indirectly bash the army for depriving them of their divine right to rule the masses etc etc. For how long is this circus going to on for?

Recommend 0

ayesha

Jan 17, 2015 12:06pm

Any witness who retracts confession needs to be questioned. Now what needs to happen is all the spymasters and Musharraf be called.

Recommend 0

Parvez

Jan 17, 2015 12:15pm

When all are guilty...then none are guilty.

Recommend 0

Bin ya Min

Jan 17, 2015 12:23pm

Brig Cheema had given his statement to the investigators in writing and he repeated that word by word in the court. When asked by the defence council, the prosecution could only refer to the statement drafted and prepared by the investigation team. Instead of causing assertions on Brig Cheema won't it be appropriate to questions those who presented a tempered statement. Also don't we need to look at the law which allows witness statements to be presented without signatures of witnesses.

Recommend 0

Khan-Haqiqi

Jan 17, 2015 12:38pm

What's the guarantee that he is telling the truth now ? He should be tried for lying earlier.

Recommend 0

Parvez

Jan 17, 2015 12:41pm

If you say something under oath....and then say another under oath.....is that not contempt of court ?

Recommend 0

Ishrat salim

Jan 17, 2015 12:58pm

There should be a law where in such elements who change their statement and that too after such a long time must be punished....seem such change never allowed in any other developed country except Pakistan....

Recommend 0

Merchant

Jan 17, 2015 01:09pm

Cheers is now a hostile witness and should be stopped from providing further statements.

Recommend 0

G Abbas

Jan 17, 2015 01:38pm

What an idiot man he is, who keeps changing his statements. How many other high profile officials in uniform and civics we still do have? 80%, 90% or more?

Recommend 0

Imran

Jan 17, 2015 01:42pm

Shocking saga. No words to illustrate my feelings. Dear brothers, I always contemplate that Pakistan's windfall is a distant dream unless it puts its own house in order. The power politics has grown restive. We, as a nation, for the sake of our kiths and kins should start instilling in our youth that current political state of affairs has not given anything to Pakistan and this trend must change. As the twig is bent so the tree will grow.

Recommend 0

sid

Jan 17, 2015 01:48pm

First this guy says he held the press conference after advice from Musharraf and now he is saying it was after meeting spy chiefs. The only thing you can deduce after this is that he either has memory problems or he is dis-honest. However saying this, it does not implicate anything sinister against the Army. If Musharraf did advise him to hold a press conference, that's not a big deal, or if the Army did ask him to share the TTP video, again that's what anyone would have done. It seems like we are getting bogged down with the intricate details and missing the big picture which is that the TTP killed BB.

Recommend 0

neutral

Jan 17, 2015 01:56pm

So, what is coming out of the Pandora Box now ?

Recommend 0

Fuad

Jan 17, 2015 02:11pm

'.....spymasters briefed them about their meeting with Gen Musharraf and handed him the video and instructed him to hold a press conference....' THE Baitullah Mehsud deliver videos to....? strange but understandable.

Recommend 0

Jan 17, 2015 02:26pm

@Fuad - Yes, I agree

Recommend 0

Jan 17, 2015 02:28pm

I see the reaction of readers and the suggestions in the report more of a storm in a tea cup. If the spy masters told the witness that Musharraf had asked them to pass on the instructions, the witness could say both - that he did it under Musharraf's instructions (unless he claims he was specifically and personally instructed by Musharraf) and - he could equally state that he was instructed by the spymasters (unless he asserts that the spy masters did not make any reference to Musharraf). So what's the big deal?

Recommend 0

muhammad

Jan 17, 2015 02:31pm

Pakistan is the only country where major cases never resolved, true story never surfaced, common people never knew that what really happened, a long list of such cases are laying in the stinking graveyard of our national history starting from the mysterious death of father of nation, murder of Quaid e Millat, disintegration of east Pakistan, Gen Zia plane crash and now Benazir murder case

Recommend 0

Ali

Jan 17, 2015 02:39pm

No problem, all Pakistani corrupt generals are beyond any accountability. Look how they have protected Mirza Aslam baig who is proven to have taken millions from Mehran bank to rig elections. Now these same generals are holding those fake encounters outside APS to malign Imran Khan as they don't want any politician to gain respect. Generals are the root cause of all problems Pakistan is facing

Recommend 0

avtar

Jan 17, 2015 03:11pm

if the senior Generals lie to their own people, how can people believe statements made in relation go other groups or countries

Recommend 0

Shafiq khan

Jan 17, 2015 03:30pm

It shows the calibre of the Army officers in our country. They lack a degree of honesty, integrity and self respect. Like a school bully in the playground they obey right or wrong command under threat. They have learnt to say yes at the appropriate places to earn their stripes and get access to benefits. In my personal experince there is a solid fantastic core of young officers envoy of any civilised nation, which gets corrupted as they reach the general staff. The moral ethos of the high command is suspect. Renageing on solomn oath , giving illegal orders to juniors, disregarding the direction the elected authorities is an anathama to any self respecting disciplined force. All this while chanting the mantra of the religion is pathatic. Sooner the Law of the land takes hold the problems will be solved.

Recommend 0

saraz

Jan 17, 2015 03:30pm

Black sheeps?

Recommend 0

muhammad

Jan 17, 2015 03:40pm

@Ali I would most humbly like to contradict your views this the sheer failure and innate weaknesses of our politicians which allowed the generals to prevail please read the history of Pakistan again carefully starting right from the independence how the politicians dragged the legs of each other and selected a serving general Ayub Khan as their minister in cabinet then on the departure of Gen Ayub they again started fighting with each other and divided the country but never came to compromise then again in 77 they pulled down an elected government but could not strike a deal to resolve a political issue then again in 99 they distributed sweets on the departure of elected government and welcomed another general and now history is repeating itself after lapse of more than one and half year of agitation and sit ins no political solution of the crises has been achieved now tell me who is responsible ? should the people in power (Generals) leave this incompetence of politicians larking on the future of country ? Moreover, Please also tell me who is responsible for not holding census after the lapse of six years as it is due since 2008, who is responsible for not holding Local Government Elections which a basic requirement of Constitution and is is also due since 2009, and further tell me who is responsible for appointing heads of departments of at least 40 plus departments which are also due since long. There is long list of continuous incompetence of our politicians which invites peoples (generals) with better credentials e.g. if you minus the era of Ayub Khan, there would have been no industrialization, no dams, no big roads etc, if you minus the Musharraf ear there would have been no economic stability, no free electronic media, no CNIC, no computerization of government departments, no machine readable passport, no HEC, no NADRA, no PEMRA etc

Recommend 0

krishna prasad

Jan 17, 2015 03:53pm

@Javed Zafar - Hats off to your comments - " How are we grooming our future generation and what are we going to leave them to live for. Shameful state of affairs." If Pakistan has one leader with your mindset, the country would be a better place to live. Hope my hopes are not in vain.

Recommend 0

i2t

Jan 17, 2015 04:20pm

That's why people freaked out on formation of army courts. What a mess but in a catch 22 situation what other option do we have.

Recommend 0

Gfellow

Jan 17, 2015 05:01pm

Musharraf said in a media interview in USA, during his presidency that Bin laden is not in Pakistan. No body believed him then. He again said that Kargil attackers are mujaheddin and not Pakistani forces. Nobody believes Pakistani generals what they say. At least the whole world does not believe them.

Recommend 0

fida sayani USA

Jan 17, 2015 05:42pm

@G Abbas 999.9%. After all this is not Jinnah's Pakistan. If it was than this thing would never have happened.

Recommend 0

farhad

Jan 17, 2015 06:06pm

my humble opinion is to try and convict this Brig Cheema with Musharaf, for abetting the murder and hiding proofs indirectly, concealing facts, hoodwinking entire nation, deceitful lies, misleading the judiciary since last 2 years... if our courts show leniency then let him go with Musharraf clean and neat. if punishing them together is possible, then drag in all those ( who are alive until today ) since 1985 and bring them to justice, trust me entire NA will be swept clean... one sour pill is enough for ONCE and the rest will think 100000 times before doing wrongs.

Recommend 0

Muhsmmad Faroow

Jan 17, 2015 06:17pm

@Riaz here persons at all levels lie for their own bebefits.

Recommend 0

Z khan

Jan 17, 2015 06:36pm

If the video is real then there is no alteration of fact. Weather he held the press conference on his own or not us immaterial.

Recommend 0

Zohaib

Jan 17, 2015 07:54pm

And the plot thickens!!

Recommend 0

Mustafa

Jan 17, 2015 08:50pm

All this confusion proves that the assassination was a surprise for Musharraf's government. The question we should be asking is who knew about the assassination in advance, who benefited from it?

Recommend 0

Common Sense

Jan 17, 2015 09:01pm

A thousands Zardaris and Nawaz sharifa and Millions of Musharafs cannot fill the space of Muhtarma B.B. This not an Islamic republic but Military & Establishment republic Where men of acumen are not let to live.

Recommend 0

optimist

Jan 17, 2015 10:05pm

Retired Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, former director general of the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC), listens to his masters past and present. May be he will amend his statement again in future.

Recommend 0

Javed

Jan 17, 2015 11:33pm

It is time that the retired Army leaders be boycotted by Pakistani citizens. Most of these people have engaged in conspiracy against Pakistan and it's citizens in the name of "national interest". This has been happening since the creation of Pakistan but is coming to light now. Imagine where would Pakistan be without these people?

Recommend 0

Patriotic Indian

Jan 18, 2015 12:51am

@Imranahmed4330 Noorani You are right. Truth has been hidden from pakistani's since the very beginning. I mean even creation and reasons behind the very creation of Pakistan.

Recommend 0

A concerned individual

Jan 18, 2015 12:57am

@Common Sense: Silly me. And I thought her father was responsible for breaking up Pakistan by claiming "udher tum, idher ham" (You over there, me over here). And she betrayed Sikhs by giving intelligence to India against Khalistan movement.

Recommend 0

m. a

Jan 18, 2015 01:12am

Sir, I have seen in video shown on TV multiple times. That she had pulled her head out of bomb proof car. A man close to her car shot her in the back of head. The doctor told that she died from hitting her head to the front. There were multiple people travelling in her car. It was stated that while she was sitting, she received a phone, and she talked long enough and then she got up and exposed her head. Were all these travelling people investigated for murder. It is possible that these leader had manipulated every thing. After her death the phone was missing and later on was found in Zardari's house. He did not try to find the phone number of the caller. Still that number is unknown, why? That number still could be gotten from the phone company. I believe that lot of scheme and money is involved in her murder. There is an other possibility that the phone caller could have been Nawaz who worked as a servant of Zardari.

Recommend 0

Patriotic Indian

Jan 18, 2015 01:56am

Thanks Patriotic Pakistanis for asking right questions. I read all comments up till now. I ask Pakistanis to question themselves one more question : How come Jinnah with out going jail became Freedom fighter and founder of Pakistan ?

Recommend 0

Azmat Tarar

Jan 18, 2015 02:10am

Which Video??, whole nation knows it was an AUDIO not a video, please check you facts Dawn..

Recommend 0

AHMED

Jan 18, 2015 02:43am

If the judge accepts that an ISI Brigadier would take orders from a civilian bureaucrat on what to tell the public on a national issue rather than from his military chain of command, then that judge would have violated all norms of justice and common sense.

Recommend 0

lubna

Jan 18, 2015 05:09am

if there is a fair trial of BB and shahnawaz bhutto murders ,one person will be responsible who is the beneficiary

Recommend 0

mabob

Jan 18, 2015 05:21am

No one has so far brought the murder motivator and the most beneficial to the ATC. All are scared of him. What arrangement was there between the actual motivator and the actual executor? Both are likely to be two in one.

Recommend 0

aneeskhan

Jan 18, 2015 06:37am

Initially as per Nawaz and Zardari FIA pressure he made statement he took advice from Musharraf, when he realised this is lie, no proof he had any meeting with Musharraf he came to right track that he got all from intelligence meeting.

Recommend 0

Arslan

Jan 18, 2015 07:07am

If ever there was a case for the military courts , it is Benazir's assassination. The civilian courts are neither competent, nor willing, but this must be addressed to bring justice and ensure future regard for the nation's leaders. I suspect that while there may have been only a few killers, there were many in the know and those people should also be punished in proportion to their complicity or negligence.

Recommend 0

M Saleem Chaudhry

Jan 18, 2015 08:44am

Such are the games played by people with vested interest and Machiavellian characters.

Recommend 0

Mustafa

Jan 19, 2015 09:31pm

@Common Sense ; The real Mohtarma is Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah.

Recommend 0