Daily Times reports today that a core committee meeting of the PPP has made clear that all individuals will be investigated in the case of the murder of Benazir Bhutto. This is not only appropriate, but it is necessary to put an end to attempts by some groups to make Benazir’s murder into a political tool. By investigating everyone – including high-ranking PPP officials – the investigation will finally be able to bring to justice those who were involved, and clear the names of those who have been slandered.
Former president Pervez Musharraf, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Law Minister Babar Awan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Naheed Khan will be included in the investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a core committee meeting of the PPP decided late on Monday.
A private TV channel reported that during the meeting in Islamabad – presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari – it was decided that Musharraf would also be questioned in the probe. The findings of the investigation would be announced in a month.
The PPP meeting also decided that all leaders who were in cars around Benazir and those in the former prime minister’s vehicle would be included in the investigation – “whether they belong to the PPP or not”, said the channel.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Interior Minister Rehman Malik briefed the committee on the progress made so far by the three-member fact-finding committee looking into the hosing down of the site of Benazir’s assassination. He said the committee would question “some more people” before filing its report with the prime minister. He said the core committee of the ruling party had reaffirmed its resolve to pursue investigations in the light of the UN report to “expose all elements involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Benazir Bhutto”.
Despite the rather obvious statements about responsibilty for the murder of Benazir Bhutto,we continue every day to hear people talking about Rehman Malik and Babar Awan driving away after the explosion. I’m not even sure I think this is very strange, myself. If you heard an explosion, would you drive away? But even if there is some questions there, why are some media types like Ansasr Abbasi and The Nation only writing about the question of Rehman Malik and not the glaringly obvious questions about Musharraf and MI?
I stand by this, and the inclusion of everyone in the investigation will be an important way to finally put to rest these rumours and conspiracies. If any PPP member had anything to do with the assassination, which I would think would be very strange – what would they stand to gain from such an act? – they should of course be brought to justice. If, what is more likely, they had nothing to do with it, we should clear their names and put an end to rumours.
Obviously, this goes as well for anyone who was not PPP. For our nation to close this chapter, we must see real justice. That means punishing the guilty and clearing the names of the innocent, whoever they may be.
