Malik, Awan’s role in Bhutto’s murder must be probed: Pak daily

KARACHI - While the UN commission’s report over the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has indicted the then Musharraf regime, a detailed study of the probe report has revealed that people like Rehman Malik, the incumbent Interior Minister, and Babar Awan, the current law and parliamentary affairs minister, may also have had a role in Bhutto’s tragic death.

According to the News quoting the UN report, Malik, who was in-charge of Bhutto’s security and Awan along with the current presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar and Lt. Gen. (retired) Tauqir Zia had sped off in the back-up bullet proof Mercedes soon after Bhutto was attacked and did not stop till it reached Zardari House in Islamabad.

According to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the paper notes, the back-up vehicle should not leave the VIP vehicle in any case, and it is actually included in the convoy to be used in case of an emergency.

The paper further quotes the report as stating: “Ms Bhutto was left vulnerable in a severely damaged vehicle that was unable to transport her to hospital by the irresponsible and hasty departure of the bullet-proof Mercedes Benz, which as the back-up vehicle, was an essential part of her convoy.”

The question, the paper asks, which amazingly has not been raised by Pakistani investigators, is why the back-up vehicle left the incident site, when it is a hard and fast rule that back-up vehicles in no case abandon the VIP vehicle.

“Did someone know that the bomb attack on Bhutto was about to take place and did not want to be caught up in the attack,” asked the paper.

There is ample evidence that these leaders know something more than what has been revealed, and now it is the Pakistan government’s prerogative to dig out the truth and let the people of the country identify the real culprits, the paper opined. (ANI)