Jailer says Bhutto told him he’s victim of Soviet-US plot

ISLAMABAD: A jailer on duty, when former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) was hanged, said on Thursday the late leader had told the jail superintendent that he was a victim of Soviet-American conspiracy to punish him for his plans to form a bloc of Muslim countries.

Former assistant jail superintendent Majeed Qureshi, in a special interview with Talk Shock, said Bhutto had told the then jail superintendent Yar Muhammad that he had never ordered anyone to murder any person, and the case registered against him was a pack of lies. He recalled that Bhutto was brought to the Pindi jail superintendent’s office and presented a cup of tea. When he was asked by the superintendent what was the reality of the murder case, registered against him, ZAB replied that he never asked anyone to murder any person, and it was, in fact, a conspiracy hatched against him for trying to form a bloc of Muslim countries.

Majeed Qureshi also recalled the last meeting of Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said there were lots of moving scenes during that meeting as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were sitting on ground, former behind bars and the daughter in front of him. Benazir Bhutto was weeping bitterly; she was kissing hands and forehead of her father time and again. Bhutto also kissed her daughter’s forehead, and sometimes they whispered. It was very painful scene which continued for quite some time.

Recalling the last day happenings, former jailer Majeed Qureshi said when he unlocked his handcuffs, and he reached the gallows, hangman covered Bhutto’s face with a piece of cloth. He said he was holding Bhutto from his left shoulder. Bhutto said: “Mr. Qureshi, remove this cloth”. These were last words of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, as soon after that the lever was pulled by the hangman.

Majeed Qureshi said a camera was also there to take photographs of the hanging process. After hanging, Bhutto’s clothes were removed and photographs were taken, as the administration wanted to confirm his death.