KARACHI, June 26: Detained spouse of the former prime minister, Ms Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, on Saturday said he will never "go abroad as intended by present rulers."

"Nobody can send me on forced exile, although the murder of Munawwar Suhrawardy was a clear message for Benazir not to return home and for me to leave the country," he said, while talking to newsmen at the Central Jail on hearing of Mir Murataza Bhutto murder case.

He said that when Benazir Bhutto decided to return home in March 2004, MPA Abdullah Murad was brutally killed, while one of his guards, Abdullah Abbasi, was also killed mysteriously.

Now, when Ms Benazir had intensified her efforts to return to the country, her close colleague Munawar Suhrawardy was killed in broad daylight, he added.

Accusing the government of Suhrawardy's killing, he said his party did not expect from the government to arrest his killers, adding Munawwar's killers would be brought to justice by the next PPP government.

He announced that he would not leave Munawwar's family alone and continue patronizing them.

Commenting on Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali's resignation, he said: "PM Jamali was tendering his resignation happily and by his own wish," and claimed that "President Pervez Musharraf will also leave after PM Jamali."

"I still believe that next general elections will be held this year and PPP will be alleviated to power," he said, adding that Gen Musharraf was trying his best to destabilize the Pakistan Peoples Party.-PPI

Opinion

Editorial

Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...
Water vision
01 May, 2026

Water vision

WATER insecurity in Pakistan has been building up for decades as per capita water availability has declined from...
Vaccine policy
01 May, 2026

Vaccine policy

PAKISTAN has finally approved its first National Vaccine Policy; a step the health ministry has rightly described as...
Labour rights
Updated 01 May, 2026

Labour rights

THE annual observance of May Day should move beyond statements about the state’s commitment to the rights of...