Naheed asked Benazir to wave to crowd, says driver
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RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court was told on Wednesday that Naheed Khan, political secretary of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, had asked the slain prime minister to wave hands to a charged crowd after a rally at Liaquat Bagh on Dec 27, 2007.
Testifying in the Benazir murder case, Javed Rehman, a driver of Zardari House, claimed that Ms Khan had asked Ms Bhutto’s servant Razzaq Mirani to open the escape hatch of the vehicle and encouraged her to wave hands to PPP workers and supporters.
The driver, who is currently serving at Zardari House in Islamabad, claimed that Ms Khan herself tried to open the escape hatch but failed and then asked Mirani to do that.
Take a look: The Benazir murder mystery
He stated before the court that former interior minister Rehman Malik was in one of the four back-up vehicles which had left Liaquat Bagh before the departure of Benazir Bhutto.
During the cross-examination, Javed Rehman said his brother Khizer Hayat was driving the vehicle in which Mr Malik was travelling. He said about 20 minutes after the attack on Ms Bhutto, his brother called him and said Mr Malik was asking why he (Javed Rehman) did not reach the Zardari House. The witness said he told his brother that Ms Bhutto had been injured in the attack and he was near Chandni Chowk.
He said when Ms Bhutto was injured, Naheed Khan asked him to rush to hospital.
Judge Rai Ayub Marth adjourned the proceedings to Sept 14.
Reacting to the witness’s statement, Naheed Khan said she neither advised Ms Bhutto to wave hands nor asked anyone to open the escape hatch.
Ms Khan said she could not understand why such things were being presented before the court after about eight years of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
“The revelations have been made by a witness who is still a personal servant of Mr Asif Ali Zardari. I will surely respond after examining his statement,” she said.
Expressing doubt over the investigation and prosecution, Ms Khan said it was an exceptional case because the prosecution did not record statements of those who were sitting in the vehicle with Benazir Bhutto.
She said besides her, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and her spouse Safdar Abbasi were also travelling in the vehicle, but investigators never approached them to record their statements.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2015
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Comments (50) Closed
Sep 03, 2015 06:43am
The court is not serious in finding or punishing the murderer but it is working under direction from somebody else. At the end, the court will rest the blame of Mr Musharraf. Mr. Z and Mr . N both will be happy.
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Sep 03, 2015 06:55am
it has been 8 years, now what to expect..
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Sep 03, 2015 07:13am
This case is all cooked up, delayed and made complicated to save the real killers.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:23am
An effort to mislead.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:27am
I wish we can just move on with this event ! Who cares honestly
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Sep 03, 2015 07:38am
It is contrary to the news at the time of incident where it was told that Naheed had tried to stop Benazir from opening escape hatch and standing up to wave to the crowd.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:39am
Where was the driver before. Appears scheme to discredit Ms. Naheed.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:48am
We will never find the killers as the case is being twisted time again on every hearing.Why Naveed Khan's statement is not being recorded.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:51am
some cases are better remained unsolved. Close the file. Time is a healer and biggest teacher.
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Sep 03, 2015 08:09am
Mr. Zardari is unhappy with Naheed Khan from day one after BB's murder. I personally like Naheed Khan better than Mr. Zardari but I think in this case Naheed Khan is not right. She may have asked BB to wave to the crowd perhaps not knowing how disastrous the consequence would be. Mr. Zardari in one of his interviews also hinted that public meeting in Rawalpindi was held on insistence of Naheed Khan (who belongs to Rawalpindi and was once a candidate for MNA). But Mr. Zardari had no right to kick Naheed Khan out of the party. Disliking certain action of a person does not give authority to a party (co) chairman to take unilateral action.
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Sep 03, 2015 08:39am
Naheed Khan certainly has a point there.
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Sep 03, 2015 08:53am
Why the driver didn't give evidence to UN and Scotland Yard invistugators. Seems like PPP wants to open new Pandora Box. Now the govt should check drivers Assets.
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Sep 03, 2015 08:55am
You should have spoken when you had the chance, Naheed---. Now they are going to skin you alive.
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Sep 03, 2015 08:57am
Who benefited most after BB assassination? May be that some one is the culprit, remember ZAB was hanged for conspiracy, not murder.
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Sep 03, 2015 10:04am
Ask the driver why he stopped the vehicle. Rule of driving VIPs, is never to stop, get out of any potential danger zone.
And Dr Rehman should have been with her in the same vehicle. He was personal security in charge.
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Sep 03, 2015 10:08am
50,000 innocent civilians and 5,000 Pakistani military personnel have been killed by the terrorists. She is just one of them .....
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Sep 03, 2015 10:23am
Nothing wrong with Naheed asking Benazir innocently to waive to the crowd. That is political campaigning. Ehy bother denying.
It was her bad fortune that one sucide bomber happened to be at that exact location
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Sep 03, 2015 10:43am
After 8 years we have managed to established who asked Benazer to wave? What a joke where was the driver all this time? I think there has been Zero investigation or probe into this case.
People instead have been working to conceal the facts and bury this case alive.
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Sep 03, 2015 11:15am
Just an "EYE WASH" now what to say.
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Sep 03, 2015 11:34am
If not misguiding then what else can ever be expected from AZ and his servants ? How can the servants dare to say any thing except as directed by the boss / bosses ? And what is this drama of investigation into BB murder case which is lingering on now for 8 years and still now the progress is so very slow that it seems it will not conclude any time in the foreseeable future.
Ultimately it will be forgotten and buried and the real culprit - the mastermind and major beneficiary - will continue to roam free.
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Sep 03, 2015 11:44am
"Ms Khan said she could not understand why such things were being presented before the court after about eight years of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto"
Above statement shades doubt on integrity of Naheed Khan as to why investigation when she is dead? Why not others being investigated?
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Sep 03, 2015 12:02pm
@Khi92 No, not at all. Ms Khan simply wondered at this misleading disclosure after a long of period of 8 years. It is this long period which is being questioned. Hope you now understand this simple thing.
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Sep 03, 2015 12:04pm
One should ask General Musharraf that you were COAS, president and fully powerful then why didn't you take quick actions to find the killers. Actually, you did not even try or did not want to try for God knows what reasons. Same question to Asif Ali Zardari
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Sep 03, 2015 12:05pm
An effort from PPP to crate a diversion from their crimes.
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Sep 03, 2015 12:07pm
Naheed asked her to get out and she (BB) did. A New theory after almost seven years !
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Sep 03, 2015 12:23pm
....and the ball bets kicked further into the taller grass.
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Sep 03, 2015 12:30pm
PPP was in government for 5 years and they made the case more difficult instead of solving it
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Sep 03, 2015 12:33pm
A lot of confusion continues to be created even today, nearly eight years after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. It is a sad commentary on our investigation agencies that despite the passage of so many years after the incident had happened, the matter appears to be moving farther and farther away from being solved.
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Sep 03, 2015 12:43pm
We can say PPPs election campaign has just kicked off as sympathy is the only card in theri bag now. By the time we hear the final verdict, elections would be around the corner; that will help them getting sympathy votes once again.
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Sep 03, 2015 01:19pm
Surely seems to be a dictated statement.
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Sep 03, 2015 01:22pm
People should understand that Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and BB are no more there. They should vote wisely and should not be fooled by corrupts.
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Sep 03, 2015 01:44pm
its time now Naheed sahiba open up.
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Sep 03, 2015 01:56pm
Why now this is brought up in media when party leaders are under investigation on corruption charges?
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Sep 03, 2015 02:21pm
yes there was some one traveling BB who asked her to wave the crowds ?
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Sep 03, 2015 02:45pm
@Atif Khan
Nice logical comment.
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Sep 03, 2015 02:49pm
If one had carefully follow BB political career, it would not be rocket science to figure out
who killed her.
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Sep 03, 2015 03:24pm
Naheed Khan. Oh same one who bagged BB to cancel the Jalsa and on that time she insist BB to safety first. Thank you for twisting the facts
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Sep 03, 2015 03:31pm
Why nothing happened on this case during the 5 years of the PPP government, and suddenly now everyone is a critic. Let the soul of BB rest, the PPP establishment trying to mortalize her like ZA Bhutton, there are huge differences.
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Sep 03, 2015 03:42pm
Good involve Naheed Khan in this case so she tells the truth what really happened. This needs to resolve. Benazir was a National leader, a million times better then Nawaz Sharif
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Sep 03, 2015 03:42pm
Even if Naheed asked Benazir to wave hand to the crowd, it may simply be part of a campaign, this does not necessarily indicate that Naheed did this to facilitate killing of Benazir. However in all probability the driver of Zardari house who gave this testimony may have been pressurized to do so. Generally speaking, the killer of Murtaza Bhutto cannot be ruled out of Benazir's murder.
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Sep 03, 2015 03:57pm
@Atif Khan Though its highly doubtful that Naheed had asked her to waive,it was very important to establish the on whom's pursuance, she stood up because the vehicle was bullet proof and she couldnt be harmed inside vehicle.
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Sep 03, 2015 04:25pm
@Khara aur karwa such Our investigation agencies /officers are not / never allowed to do their job independently. They are always supposed to behave and do as directed / desired by rulers - all - present or past.
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Sep 03, 2015 05:41pm
The statement of the driver has widened the case intentionally or unintentionally.Now all those in the BB's and Rehman Malik's vehicles and also Zardari would be called as witnesses to testify in the case to meet the end of justice.
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Sep 03, 2015 07:57pm
Suspicious lady if you watch the last video
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Sep 03, 2015 08:29pm
She died and with her died the Party. PPP, A fatheha for them is good enough
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Sep 03, 2015 09:06pm
@Adnan Yes we moved on when first civilian govt was thrown away.we kept quiet when martial law was imposed.we didnt bother when our country was sliced into two halves. we kept our mouths shut when Z A butto was murderd by the courts. we didnt ask a single question when OJRI camp was blown away.we preferred to move on when we retreated from Kargil, we kep quiet on drones,yes you are right we should continue to move.
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Sep 03, 2015 09:15pm
Amazingly no one ever ask those four people who were with BB's for theirs statement!
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Sep 03, 2015 11:34pm
the soul of benazir must be trembling since 8 years that the culprit of her assignation has not been caught even during the PPP govt.in power
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Sep 05, 2015 07:39am
Who got the most benefit from all this?
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Sep 05, 2015 07:41am
Please check Dubai assets of this driver.
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