Thaindian News

Islamabad, April 16 (IANS) A UN probe report faulting the government of then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf for the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has been termed a “pack of lies” by an aide of the former military dictator.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Major General (retd) Rashid Qureshi pointed out that the UN commission should have pinned the responsibility on the government of that time and not on the presidency.

He also disclosed that according to the investigations conducted after Bhutto’s 2007 killing, there were no bullet marks on her head and that 27 pieces of evidence were collected from the assassination spot, Online news agency reported.

Qureshi further pointed out that according to investigation conducted by the law enforcement agencies, then Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was reported to be accomplice in Bhutto’s assassination.

Mehsud was killed in a US drone attack last year.

Qureshi previously headed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). After Musharraf stepped down as army chief in November 2007, Qureshi became the president’s spokesman and continues to be so even after Musharraf quit office in August 2008.

Although no functionary of the former government has been accused of complicity in Bhutto’s murder, the 65-page UN report has blamed Musharraf’s government, particularly its police and security network, of negligence.

Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack Dec 27, 2007 as she left a political rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.

Pakistan had in July 2008 sought a UN probe into Bhutto’s killing after its own investigations and one by Scotland Yard failed to make headway.

This is largely because the spot where Bhutto was killed was hosed down soon after, destroying whatever evidence that could have been gathered.

The UN probe had begun in June 2009 and is believed to have cost the Pakistani government Rs.200 million.