Former president Pervez Musharraf said that during his reign
there may have been elements within the establishment that conspired
with the Taliban to murder former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, BBC reported.
When asked by the BBC
on Bhutto's 10th death anniversary if rogue elements within the
establishment could have been in touch with the Taliban about the
killing, the former military ruler responded: "Possibility. Yes, indeed.
Because the society is polarised on religious lines."
Adding
that his assessment was a hunch rather than solid proof, he said: "I
don't have any facts available. But my assessment is very accurate I
think... A lady who is known to be inclined towards the West is seen
suspiciously by those elements."
But there are some who
continue to strongly believe Musharraf himself was directly involved in
what transpired on December 27, 2007, when a 15-year-old from South
Waziristan shot Bhutto at Liaquatbagh before blowing himself up.
Journalists
Mark Siegel and Ron Suskind have repeatedly claimed that months before
her assassination, Bhutto was telephoned by Musharraf who told her not
to return to Pakistan.
"He [Musharraf] said that her safety, her security (or lack thereof) was a function of her relationship with him," said Siegel.
Immediately
after the call, Bhutto said: "He threatened me. He told me not to come
back. He warned me not to come back," according to Siegel, who added
that Musharraf had said he would not be responsible for what happened to
her if she returned.
According to the BBC
report, Musharraf strongly denied making the call and dismissed the idea
that he would have ordered her murder. "Honestly I laugh at it. Why
would I kill her?"
Bhutto's son, Bilawal, who has since succeeded his mother as PPP chairman, agrees with Siegel and Suskind's assessment.
"Musharraf exploited this entire situation to assassinate my mother," says the younger Bhutto.
"He purposely sabotaged her security so that she would be assassinated and taken off the scene."
An
anti-terrorism court in August this year declared Musharraf an
absconder and also directed authorities to seize Musharraf's properties
and issue perpetual arrest warrants for the former dictator.
A
joint investigation team implicated Musharraf in the case, saying that
his government did not provide adequate security to the former prime
minister despite her repeated requests.
Apart from
Musharraf, five other men — Baitullah Mehsud, Ahmad Gul, Iqramullah,
Abdullah, and Faizullah — were also declared absconders.
The ATC in its detailed order had ruled that Benazir's murder could have been prevented with appropriate security measures
