Gujrat Chaudhrys not involved in Benazir’s murder: Khosa

LONDON: Governor Punjab Sardar Latif Khosa has said Bilawal Bhutto Zaradri cleared Chaudhry Pervaiz Ealhi and Shujaat Hussain from any involvement in the murder of Benazir Bhutto and only then the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) entered into an alliance with the PML-Q, once dubbed as ‘qaatil’ League.
In an interview with The News at the Pakistan High Commission here Khosa, who is on an official visit to Europe, said several investigations were held in Pakistan including on by the Scotland Yard, and it was proven that the Chaudhry brothers were not involved in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. “Rehman Malik presented a joint investigation team report to Bilawal Bhutto which exonerated the Chaudhrys. Bilawal saw the report and gave go ahead for the alliance (with the PML-Q)”.
He hit out at the Punjab government and accused Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif of accumulating too many powers and not being “accountable” to the provincial assembly. He said general election will be held on time and all rumours about elections being delayed or postponed were misplaced. He said Pakistan People’s Party government would go down in the history books as the first government that fulfilled its 5-year mandate.
“This has become possible because the PPP government is carrying forward the agenda set in the Charter of Democracy (CoD). Our term ends on 18th March 2013 and elections will be held within 60 days after that. There’s no ambiguity about that.”
He said PML-N has no “political future” and PPP was on course to forming government in all provinces of Pakistan. He said the Asghar Khan case verdict has weakened PML-N and it has become clear that “Sharif brothers were involved in conspiracies against the Constitution of Pakistan and took part in its subversion. The fraudulent elections stole mandate from the true representatives of the people of Pakistan. This shows that PML-N leaders never had democratic attitude and have never believed in democracy to flourish. The Supreme Court decision has shocked the PML-N leaders”.
He said Talibanisation is a complex issue, which can be resolved through national consensus and asked “some PML-N leaders” not to approach militant leaders to get votes. “It is clear that PML-N leaders were seen campaigning with leaders of the banned militant outfits. This is wrong. Such policies have made Punjab the den of crimes. We need to decide whether we want Qauid-e-Azam’s Pakistan or Taliban’s Pakistan.”
He said PPP was sincere in its pledge to carve another province out of Punjab and will overcome every obstacle in this regard. He said it was President Asif Ali Zardari’s right to do politics as well as be the president of Pakistan. “Similarly, I am the governor of Punjab but the law allows me to do politics on behalf of the PPP. There is no bar in the Constitution on doing both at the same time. President Zardari is democratically elected, he is not a dictator.”