Bid to link Darul Uloom Haqqania with Benazir’s murder rebuffed

NOWSHERA: Rubbishing the reports about the involvement of students of the Darul Uloom Haqqania in the assassination of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a spokesman for the seminary on Saturday said those having vested interests were maligning the religious institution. He said the allegations were part of the propaganda campaign by anti-Islam lobbies to defame the famed Darul Uloom Haqqania.

He said involving it in the assassination of a great politician and an internationally known leader and intellectual like Benazir Bhutto was a conspiracy to save the real elements behind the murder.

He noted that Benazir Bhutto was never threatened religious scholars and seminaries but was a threat to the powers that be. “She was assassinated by those who considered her a threat to their power, political future and other interests,” the spokesman stressed.

He said there was contradiction in the reports prepared by the then interior minister, who declared before any investigation could be done that the plan to assassinate Benazir Bhutto was prepared and funded in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

He reminded that it was reported at the time that General ® Pervez Musharraf, Brigadier (R) Ijaz Shah, al-Qaeda, Taliban and two rival parties of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were involved in the murder.

He said investigation into the high profile murder case was carried out by the Scotland Yard and United Nations but none mentioned or blamed Darul Uloom Haqqania for any role in the murder.

The spokesman said Benazir Bhutto had named certain people to be held accountable if she was harmed and wondered why those persons were not investigated.

He said most PPP activists wanted some of the party leaders accompanying Benazir Bhutto to the Liaqat Bagh public meeting to be investigated in the case.

He said Asif Ali Zardari had time and again said that there were powerful elements behind the militants accused of assassinating Benazir Bhutto.

The Darul Uloom Haqqania spokesman recalled that Asif Ali Zardari in his speech at Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary on December 27, 2008 in Naudero claimed that former US secretary of state Condoleeza Rice in her book had hinted at some facts about the assassination. This could mean a US role also in the assassination, the spokesman added.

He said the two accused arrested in Benazir Bhutto murder case were blamed to be students of Darul Uloom Haqqania and killed in fake encounters. “There is no record at the seminary of Aitezaz, Hasnain and Rafaqat who were named as the accused,” he added.

Claiming that there is no evidence of the involvement of Darul Uloom Haqqania in acts of terrorism, the spokesman said delegations from various Western countries including the US and foreign journalists have visited it regularly and have yet to find any terrorist connection yet.

Criticising the Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid for his tirade against Darul Uloom Haqqania, its spokesman said it was the responsibility of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to properly investigate the case instead of playing blame game.

Terming the minister’s statements irresponsible, non-serious and baseless, the spokesman said he would be sued in the court if he continued to make allegations against the seminary without presenting any evidence.