The needle of suspicion!

Contradiction it might be, but the hard fact remains that the troika of USA, Al Qaeda and ISI are playing dangerous games. The three are helping each other and feed upon each other. President Pervez Musharraf continues to manage a balance between them and consequently the President of USA gives him a clean chit in the ghastly murder of Benazir. Notwithstanding that, the stock of Musharraf is at its lowest and few are prepared to absolve him of his culpability.

by SUSHIL VAKIL

There is no denying the fact that Benazir’s barbarous assassination has boomeranged on President Musharraf. And to tide over the crisis the witty General is now trying every trick in the book to absolve himself and his government of the blame. From a passionate human being to a true son of the soil Musharraf is changing postures to cover up the unholy nexus between those at the helm of the affairs and Islamic terrorists. The government’s altogether different versions make it more open to suspicion.

For true to type, Musharraf’s theories raise more questions than the answers. General Musharraf may not have a direct role in the killing but his lust for power and subverting Constitution to suit his ends could be one of the reasons for the prevailing chaos in Pakistan. Besides that, who would benefit from her death? Naturally the military regime that wants to prolong its rule. It is widely agreed that Inter Services Intelligence work for General Musharraf as well as Taliban. In fact, it works for USA as well. Yes, the same infamous intelligence outfit that has been aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism and exporting terrorists to Afghanistan with US aid, due to which Pakistan has remained a safe haven for Islamic terrorists even today. The US is indirectly responsible for the traumatic conditions in Pakistan as it is using Musharraf to serve its own geopolitical interests in South Asia. Apart from that it is using Pakistan as a pawn in its so-called war against terror.

There is no doubt that Pakistan has seen much mayhem due to Islamic terrorism and it is Musharraf who is responsible for the heightened terrorism. He therefore, can’t absolve himself of the blame. All these facts put a question mark on his “sincerity” and credibility.”

Incidentally, Musharraf is much more than an army general, an exceptional one at that. His concerns are artistic, intellectual and political. More people remember him as a knave General who usurped power by forever silencing one of his opponents. This is clear from

Musharraf’s call on the countrymen exhorting them to unite against what he said was the threat it faces from terrorists. Mr. Musharraf said that he was personally saddened by Ms Bhutto’s death. But the facts and security provided to her speak otherwise.

It is fair to assume that Benazir has been killed by the establishment in collusion with the terrorists as it suits the interests of Pakistan army under Musharraf. It is borne out by the fact that Pakistan government is coming out with different versions that suit them, related to her brutal killing. Soon after the killing, Pakistan Interior Ministry Spokesperson claimed that Bhutto was not killed by bullet injury but by hitting sunroof handle of the car in which she was traveling. However, the claim was rubbished next day when Pakistan TV channels aired footages showing two people pointing a pistol at Bhutto from a close range. The new development raised a storm in political circles inside and outside the country. Later on the Interior Minister sought the apology for his Spokesperson’s account attributing the mistake to incorrect phraseology.

Under fire, the Government also claimed that it has intercepts indicating Bhutto was killed by Al Qaeda as it felt she was close to the US. As the tide began to turn against Musharraf he has sought the help of Scotland Yard team to “assist” in investigations to clear the “confusion theories” surrounding the assassination. But knowing the complicity of Pakistan police in destroying evidence PPP has demanded that investigations be carried under the auspices of United Nations. But Musharraf is unlikely to concede to such a demand as he is aware that once the investigation is honestly carried out it could  potentially rip off the mask of certain important faces.

Taking advantage of the chaotic situation Musharraf justified the postponement of elections to February 18 as elections cannot be held in free, fair and transparent manner this time around. But an interesting question arises that when Pakistan’s major cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad were returning to normalcy then why the government delayed the elections. Certainly, Musharraf wouldn’t wish PPP to win on sympathy wave. This also raises eyebrows on government sincerity.

The fact remains that Musharraf is seeking outside help in investigations just to deflect the increasing criticism that has been building inside and outside Pakistan casting aspersions over Pak police’s competence and objectivity in investigation rather than unrevealing the identity of the killers. It is believed that US too has a key role in persuading Musharraf to allow international involvement as it may help in tempering down civil unrest.

Undoubtedly, US too is keen in Musharraf continuance in office as he is serving their interests in South Asia. In fact, US President George Bush commented soon after Bhutto’s assassination that Islamic fundamentalists were behind the murder. It was the Taliban madmen again, the Al Qaeda spider who struck at this lone and brave woman who had dared to call for democracy in her country,” Mr. Bush said. In this way Mr. Bush has given a clean chit to Musharraf and his men.

Though Benazir’s murder is still a mystery yet the versions are changing each day. There are reports that Bhutto was killed as she was scheduled to meet some top senior US law makers to handover a dossier accusing the ISI and Election Commission officials of rigging the upcoming elections. The controversy has taken another turn with some PPP leaders claiming that assail- ants had targeted Bhutto with sophisticated “laser technology”. Adding further confusion, Russian intelligence agencies have concluded that murder couldn’t be possible without the active connivance of the officials inside the government.

In the face of changing versions and evidences one can fairly conclude that Islamabad’s changing claims are ridiculous and pointless. The fact cannot be overlooked that armed assailants were able to have such close access to Bhutto. Certainly, it exposes security lapse. Moreover, it shows that General Musharraf had not provided Bhutto adequate security despite her requests. As such, Pakistan government’s statements are in no way going to help Musharraf and his men to escape responsibility.