=> ISLAMABAD – Interior Ministry official spokesman B
ISLAMABAD – Interior Ministry official spokesman Brig (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema Saturday ruled out PPP demand to carry out the probe into Benazir’s murder case by the international investigation team under the umbrella of the United Nations.
Addressing a press conference, Brig (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema said, that Benazir’s murder case probe is difficult for the international body. He said, “Benazir Bhutto’s murder is not an ordinary case, rather a case of terrorism having links with our own tribal area people, who speak Pushto, therefore, the international investigation team would find it difficult to probe into the case as they neither know Pushto nor could easily have access to the tribal belt”.
“We are fully capable to carry out the probe and we will conduct the inquiry ourselves” he claimed.
However, the spokesperson’s style in Saturday briefing was clearly rude rather than convincing the media. He appeared confused due to not only conflicting opinions on the Thursday’s assassination of Benazir Bhutto but also because of the inaccuracies found within the government’s standpoint.
Unlike his previous routine Brig (Retd) Cheema appeared patience deficient eventually to cause embarrassment for the interim government when he repeated his unbecoming attitude with the media during a press briefing on Saturday.
Quite like the other day, he again did not address repeated requests by the media men to play the recording of intercepted telephone call between the Baitullah Mehsud and unknown Moulvi Sb. First he said that the tape would be played but later he changed the stance by saying that the voice of tape was not so clear.
It appeared that the spokesperson himself was not clear about what he was feeding to the media therefore in a bid to hide his confusion he treated certain journalist’s questions arrogantly.
On many occasions he appeared on the short fuse and made frequent futile efforts to establish clarity for the media men.
Earlier, Brig (Retd) Cheema while talking of the deteriorating law and order situation emerged after the brutal murder of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto said, “ The entire nation is mourning the death of Benazir Bhutto while some criminals are exploiting the situation and damaging the private and public property.
He said that more than hundred people escaped from judicial lock-up and they are the same criminal elements carrying out acts of looting and arson.
Due to the fear of these criminal elements common people are suffering and closing their shops, Cheema said adding that the army has been called in Sindh and law enforcement agencies have been put on red alert in the rest of the country.
He warned people to stop creating anarchy in the country otherwise they would be dealt with iron hands. “Federal and Provincial governments would never allow these elements to create law and order situation”. He added.
The official spokesman said the media that President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minster Mohammadmian Soomro has decided that these criminals must be dealt with iron hand and FIRs lodged against them.
While speaking about the details of damage since Thursday, Cheema said that 38 people have died and 53 have been injured in riots so far.
He further said that 174 banks have been set on fire and 26 were damaged, 158 government offices were burnt and 23 were damaged, 34 petrol pumps were burnt and 2 were damaged, 370 vehicles were set on fire and more than 61 were damaged, 71 train coaches and 18 railway stations were burnt and 4 were damaged, 765 shops and other offices were burnt and 19 were damaged across the country.
According to the Interior Ministry Spokesman, the overall situation is fast returning to normalcy after the deployment of Pakistan army, particularly in Sindh.
Responding to a question about the compensation to the people of their damages, he said that government would definitely decide about it after reviewing the whole damage.
Replying to another question, he said that dozens of arrests have also been made to bring the situation to normalcy, however, he did not share the names of arrested people.
Reacting to the statement of the Taliban spokesman that Baitullah Mehsud did not kill Benazir, Cheema said that why would Baitullah Mehsud would accept that he had killed Benazir Bhutto, adding “We have spoken truth and provided evidence now it’s up to you whether you believe in the government or Baitullah Mehsud”.
He said that this is not the question that how she died, rather the question to find out the culprits, planners, and financiers of her death is more important.
He further said that including President Musharraf, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Mian Nawaz Sharif are on the hit list of the terrorists.
He said that President escaped two suicide attacks whereas seven attempts were foiled by the intelligence agencies.
He said that terrorists are targeting army and their purpose is to destabilise the country.
Responding to another question, Cheema said investigations are underway and as soon the investigations were completed it would be shared with the media.
AFP adds: Cheema said that the government would let the former premier’s body be exhumed for inquiry if Bhutto’s party asked.
The government said that Bhutto died after banging her head on the sunroof of her vehicle while trying to duck when an attacker came up and started firing before blowing himself up. It said she had no bullet wounds.
“We have given you the facts, we have shared the evidence with you,” said Cheema.
He said the rough estimate of the cost of damage in the unrest since Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was billions of rupees, or tens of millions of dollars.
Source: The Nation
Date:12/30/2007
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