Islamabad: Pakistan`s Former Military
Intelligence chief Maj Gen Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad has rejected as
"baseless" reports that he had ordered hosing down of the site
in Rawalpindi where Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in
December 2007, the media here said today.
Ahmad, a relative of former President Pervez Musharraf,
submitted a "detailed statement along with some documents"
yesterday to a three-member committee formed by Premier Yousuf
Raza Gilani to determine whether the ex-Military Intelligence
chief ordered police officials to clean the crime scene,
unnamed sources were quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
During his appearance before the committee, Ahmad
"rubbished the notion of asking (former Rawalpindi police
chief) Saud Aziz to hose the site," `The News` daily reported.
He also handed over evidence of threats he received in
connection with the killing of former premier Bhutto, the
daily reported.
The committee did not question Ahmad, sources told `The
News`. After his introductory statement, Ahmad handed over a
written statement to the committee.
The committee is expected to decide whether it will again
call Ahmad to appear before it after reviewing his written
statement.
The committee also recorded the statement of Rawalpindi
Superintendent of Police Rana Shahid, who described the crime
scene as "very big" and said only a part of it was hosed down.
The News also quoted unnamed sources as saying that the
committee had obtained the statements of DIG Khalid Qureshi,
the head of the criminal inquiry team that probed Bhutto`s
murder; and officials of the bomb disposal squad and the
state-run Rescue 1122 service.
Prior to appearing before the committee, Ahmad met senior
military authorities.
The News daily quoted its sources as claiming that
important records related to Bhutto from 2005 to December 31,
2007 were burnt under the supervision of former Intelligence
Bureau chief Brig Ejaz Shah.
These records included information confided only to Shah
and phone calls record of al-Qaeda-linked militant commander
Qari Saifullah, mentioned by Bhutto in her last book as a
person who posed a threat to her life.
PTI
