Key witness, journalist and lobbyist Mark Seigel has said that Benazir Bhutto received a threatening call from former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf three weeks prior to her arrival in Pakistan. Seigel arrived at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.His statement was recorded at the embassy in presence of a judicial officer today via video link to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi.While recording his statement, Seigel broke into tears as he spoke about Benazir.He went on to say that the call to Benazir was received on September 25, 2007 as she was sitting in the office of US Senator Tom Lantos. Seigel added that as the phone rang she showed him her phone screen which said ‘Musharraf’. He further said that after receiving the call she seemed very disturbed.He went on to say that Musharraf in his phone call said to Benazir that her life is in danger and that her involvement in any political activities in Pakistan will be her own responsibility. According to Seigel, Musharraf also said to Benazir in his phone call, “Your security is dependent on the relationship between us.” Seigel said that Benazir emailed him to say that if she was killed then Pervez Musharraf would be held responsible. The testimony finally provided by Seigel, who has refused to travel to Pakistan on security grounds, is in so many ways sensational. We will need to see where it now takes us. The counsel for Pervez Musharraf has said that Seigel’s account could be dismissed as he was a lobbyist for the PPP and had taken Benazir’s side. The PPP has denied Seigel was ever paid by it, while the special prosecutor says the video evidence, transmitted to Rawalpindi from the Pakistan Embassy in Washington offers an important new lead in a case that many remain deeply curious about. Certainly, Seigel’s allegation and his account of the phone call need to be explored in greater depth. We are told Musharraf wished Benazir to return to Pakistan only after the 2008 elections. This she refused to do. Her refusal was a factor in her death. With 51 witnesses having already testified in the case, it is time to start reaching towards conclusions. These have for years slipped elusively away even during the time that the PPP government was in power. The murder may now be a part of our brutal history; it may have happened what seems a long time ago. But it is still important that we get to the bottom of the sequence of events to clarify the mists that hang over our politics and uncover the persons behind the violence.
pk.shafaqna.com
