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(APL) UK Lawyers welcome UN Commission Report on Be Nazir Bhuttoo’s assassination and demand for a local high powered commission to know the truth in Pakistan
Association of Pakistani Lawyers (APL), a team of Pakistani origin lawyers, Solicitors, Barristers, Judges in UK have welcomed UN Commission Report presented by a three-member panel headed by Chile’s UN ambassador Heraldo Munoz on Be Nazir Bhuttoo’s assassination OF 27 December 2007 and demanded a high powered commission to know the truth about her assassination in Pakistan to identify who are the killers and master mind behind it.
APL particularly noted the underlying message of the report which says “Ms Bhutto’s assassination could have been prevented if adequate security measures had been taken,” APL further noted the comments of the panel that the responsibility for Bhutto’s security on the day of her assassination rested with “the federal government, the government of Punjab and the Rawalpindi district police.” “None of these entities took the necessary measures to respond to the extraordinary, fresh, urgent security risks that they knew she faced,” The report further reads that the security arrangement made by the Pakistan Peoples Party were also ill-organised and characterised by lack of professionalism. APL pointed out that these factual answers on potential negligence were in public domain in any event, and the true answer is who will bell the cat and find out the true killers and master mind behind it.
APL demand that Be Nazir was a cherished leader of Pakistani people and an important figure of Pak Politics heading major political party PPP and was dearly admired and loved locally, nationally and internationally for her courage, and dedication for democracy and for fighting against tyranny and in Pakistan such leaders are rarely born and are easily lost as none ever had a fair investigation from Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan to Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttoo, and one was ousted and forcibly exiled in the case of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Now Be Nazir Bhuttoo’s assassination poses many unanswered questions for the leaders and people of Pakistan.
APL demanded that Parliament must come forward and demand from the Govt. to appoint a high powered commission headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan and/or alternately a top most credible Judge of SC, a Chief of Army Staff and/or alternately head of ISI, and a top medical doctor / Forensic Expert with credentials and respect in profession to investigate the cause of death, leads to true killers and if possible finding about the master mind behind this assassination. The commission must be time barred and brings those to account who have violated the law of the land and ensure justice with Be Nazir Bhutto and her family.
APL said that If we ever wish to stop the chain of these assassinations, and conspiracy theories, then concrete and tangible steps need to be taken to address the concerns which are in front of us in the form of Be Nazir’s assassination. The answers will settle the future of democracy in Pakistan. The core question foremost to the minds of the people of Pakistan is to find the truth as to who carried out the attack and who was behind it and until that truth is known and made public, people will not be satisfied and justice will not be done or at least seen to be done, and APL is sure that Pakistan as a country has the capability, infrastructure and talent & skill to hunt down the actual killers and mastermind behind the assassination as was the case when current COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani headed the investigation to find out attackers against former Military General Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi, and investigation was successful.
APL confirmed that the body demanded in their 27 December communiqué, “that the Musharraf run Govt’s caretaker or otherwise have failed to ensure law and order situation on this expected heavy turn out day and now the time has come that heads must roll and they must resign from their posts pending judicial enquiry as this is the Fourth major incident after the Nishtar Park blast, and 12th May Massacre, fatal disruption during Ms. Bhutto’s arrival in Karachi on 18th Oct and now her death which calls for immediate action”. But none took responsibility of the event.
APL again reiterate that a credible investigation through a high powered commission involving all institutions likely to have the know how is the way forward to close the question permanently otherwise this unsolved mystery will haunt the minds and hearts for decades to come. We hope and pray that we find the answers one day.
Barrister Amjad Malik, MA, LLM
Life Member SCBA (Pakistan)
Chair Association of Pakistani Lawyers (UK)
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