Musharraf served notice in Karsaz bombing probe

KARACHI: Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has issued a notice to former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, asking him to record his statement in an investigation into the twin blasts that hit a PPP rally on October 18, 2007.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, visiting the monument at Karsaz on October 18, 2016, had announced the formation of a special team to re-investigate the bombing of the rally that was being staged to welcome the PPP chairperson and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her return to Pakistan from exile.

More than 150 people were killed and 100 others were wounded in the twin blasts. Bhutto survived the terror attack but died in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007. Shah lamented that an investigation into the attack could not take place “properly”.

"This delay is because of the conspiracy under which the evidence of the incident was removed instantly, but it doesn’t mean that the investigation cannot be made further. Yes, I will do it again as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has issued instructions to me for this purpose,” Shah had said.

Later, an investigation team was formed that consists of Additional Inspector General (AIG) Police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Sanaullah Abbasi, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP), Intelligence, CTD, Omer Shahid Hamid, and others.

Talking to The News, SSP Omer Shahid Hamid said that an FIR was lodged at the Bahadurabad Police Station and some investigations took place. Moreover, PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto had also written a letter to former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf about the threats to her and the letter was moved on October 16, 2007.

SSP Hamid said that to get details about what action was taken by the-then president, Musharraf, they had issued a notice to him and asked him to record his statement.

The notice states: “On October 17, 2008 subject case was registered at the Bahadurabad Police Station, Karachi on the complaint of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto (Shaheed, Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party).

"As per the complaint in the FIR, Bhutto had said 'I was informed by the government that certain militant groups wanted to attack me. After receiving this information I wrote a letter dated October-16, 2007 to the President of Pakistan informing him of my grave concern regarding my security and specified the forces and persons behind them.'

“Law and Justice requires persons (you) to cause the compliance of Section-160 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section-161 of CrP.C, 1898 (Statement).”

SSP Hamid said the letter had been sent to him for a statement and they had also written a letter to the President House to help them with carrying out the investigation by providing details of the letter written by Benazir Bhutto, if available with the President House offices. The letter shall be moved to the President House through proper channels.  He added that they were also going through the investigations carried out by different teams formed from time to time to ascertain the facts.