Malik takes U-turn over quizzing Musharraf on Benazir murder case

ISLAMABAD - In a surprise move, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has backtracked on his stance that the government would send questionnaire to former president Pervez Musharraf in connection with December 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

The Nation quoted Malik, as saying that the government had taken no decision to include Musharraf in the murder case.

He avoided answering a question whether there was any proposal under consideration by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of FIA probing the case to include Musharraf in the probe in near future, saying he would brief the media later.

Malik had earlier endorsed media news that the JIT would be sending a 32-page questionnaire to Musharraf related to security arrangements provided to Benazir, and said that similar type of questionnaires would also be sent to other persons.

The Interior Minister, however clarified that the questionnaires would be sent to only those persons, against whom Benazir had shown apprehensions about possible life threats.

“We are consulting Law Ministry in this regard to decide the modus operandi,” he added. (ANI)