Omar1984
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
- Messages
- 12,296
- Reaction score
- 0
Govt plans to arrest Brig Ejaz
Monday, April 26, 2010
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: In a move apparently to divert attention from those from the PPP whose names have been mentioned in the UN Commission report on the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto, the government has decided to arrest the people who were nominated by Ms Bhutto herself as the would be culprits if she was assassinated.
Sources told The News the government had decided to arrest some key suspects nominated by Ms Bhutto in a letter after the Oct 18, 2008, twin-suicide attack on her soon after her arrival in Karachi after a prolonged self-imposed exile.
Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief, Brig (retd) Ejaz Shah, could be the first one to be arrested for questioning by the government. The former IB chief was not only nominated as the would be suspect if she was assassinated, which eventually she was in the second shooting/suicide attack on her on December 27, 2008, but was also mentioned in the UN commission report.
It is widely believed that Ejaz Shah was a close aide of former president Pervez Musharraf, and executed his orders without any fear. The sources told The News that now the government was awaiting the findings/recommendations of the inquiry committee, appointed to probe the fatal December 27, 2008 atatck.
The focus of this three-member committee is to find out and nominate as to who ordered washing of the crime scene, and who carried out the deed so quickly after the unfortunate incident, which according to investigators, including the members of the UN Commission, destroyed some vital evidence that could have helped determine the cause of the death and reach the culprits behind the gruesome attack.
The sources told The News that the government was also considering questioning the former ISI chief Gen (retd) Hameed Gul but would step short of arresting him. He (Gen Hameed Gul) would be given every opportunity to prove his innocence before any final decision is taken to arrest him or not, the sources told The News.
The sources also indicated that if the awaited report indicated the involvement of former President Gen Pervez Musharraf, the former CM of Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim, and the former chief minister of the Punjab, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the government will not hesitate in arresting all of them, including Musharraf through Interpol.
Some prominent legal and constitutional experts said the former president, if nominated by the three-member investigation committee, could be arrested and put on trial, and he would not be protected by any immunity that he had enjoyed as the former president of the country.
The same would be applied to the former chief ministers of Sindh and the Punjab, and they could be arrested and put on trial, they said. Sources said the government had made up its mind to protect the PPP people mentioned in the UN report, and the report by the three-member body would be used to divert attention from some key members of the government, including the Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Federal Law Minister Babar Awan as well as the personal bodyguard of Ms Bhutto, Khalid Shahanshah, who was appointed by her spouse, now President Asif Ali Zardari, and was later assassinated in Karachi.
The sources said that a media campaign has already been launched by the government to protect these individuals and specific tasks have been given to the concerned ministry and quarters for the execution of the counter strategy to release the pressure developed by the media after the UN Commission report was made public.
Govt plans to arrest Brig Ejaz
Monday, April 26, 2010
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: In a move apparently to divert attention from those from the PPP whose names have been mentioned in the UN Commission report on the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto, the government has decided to arrest the people who were nominated by Ms Bhutto herself as the would be culprits if she was assassinated.
Sources told The News the government had decided to arrest some key suspects nominated by Ms Bhutto in a letter after the Oct 18, 2008, twin-suicide attack on her soon after her arrival in Karachi after a prolonged self-imposed exile.
Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief, Brig (retd) Ejaz Shah, could be the first one to be arrested for questioning by the government. The former IB chief was not only nominated as the would be suspect if she was assassinated, which eventually she was in the second shooting/suicide attack on her on December 27, 2008, but was also mentioned in the UN commission report.
It is widely believed that Ejaz Shah was a close aide of former president Pervez Musharraf, and executed his orders without any fear. The sources told The News that now the government was awaiting the findings/recommendations of the inquiry committee, appointed to probe the fatal December 27, 2008 atatck.
The focus of this three-member committee is to find out and nominate as to who ordered washing of the crime scene, and who carried out the deed so quickly after the unfortunate incident, which according to investigators, including the members of the UN Commission, destroyed some vital evidence that could have helped determine the cause of the death and reach the culprits behind the gruesome attack.
The sources told The News that the government was also considering questioning the former ISI chief Gen (retd) Hameed Gul but would step short of arresting him. He (Gen Hameed Gul) would be given every opportunity to prove his innocence before any final decision is taken to arrest him or not, the sources told The News.
The sources also indicated that if the awaited report indicated the involvement of former President Gen Pervez Musharraf, the former CM of Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim, and the former chief minister of the Punjab, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the government will not hesitate in arresting all of them, including Musharraf through Interpol.
Some prominent legal and constitutional experts said the former president, if nominated by the three-member investigation committee, could be arrested and put on trial, and he would not be protected by any immunity that he had enjoyed as the former president of the country.
The same would be applied to the former chief ministers of Sindh and the Punjab, and they could be arrested and put on trial, they said. Sources said the government had made up its mind to protect the PPP people mentioned in the UN report, and the report by the three-member body would be used to divert attention from some key members of the government, including the Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Federal Law Minister Babar Awan as well as the personal bodyguard of Ms Bhutto, Khalid Shahanshah, who was appointed by her spouse, now President Asif Ali Zardari, and was later assassinated in Karachi.
The sources said that a media campaign has already been launched by the government to protect these individuals and specific tasks have been given to the concerned ministry and quarters for the execution of the counter strategy to release the pressure developed by the media after the UN Commission report was made public.
Govt plans to arrest Brig Ejaz
Last edited: