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Published 27 Jun, 2004 12:00am

Suhrawardy murdered to keep Benazir away: Asif

KARACHI, June 26: Detained spouse of the former prime minister, Ms Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, on Saturday said he will never "go abroad as intended by present rulers."

"Nobody can send me on forced exile, although the murder of Munawwar Suhrawardy was a clear message for Benazir not to return home and for me to leave the country," he said, while talking to newsmen at the Central Jail on hearing of Mir Murataza Bhutto murder case.

He said that when Benazir Bhutto decided to return home in March 2004, MPA Abdullah Murad was brutally killed, while one of his guards, Abdullah Abbasi, was also killed mysteriously.

Now, when Ms Benazir had intensified her efforts to return to the country, her close colleague Munawar Suhrawardy was killed in broad daylight, he added.

Accusing the government of Suhrawardy's killing, he said his party did not expect from the government to arrest his killers, adding Munawwar's killers would be brought to justice by the next PPP government.

He announced that he would not leave Munawwar's family alone and continue patronizing them.

Commenting on Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali's resignation, he said: "PM Jamali was tendering his resignation happily and by his own wish," and claimed that "President Pervez Musharraf will also leave after PM Jamali."

"I still believe that next general elections will be held this year and PPP will be alleviated to power," he said, adding that Gen Musharraf was trying his best to destabilize the Pakistan Peoples Party.-PPI

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