Musharraf denies involvement in BB's murder, says Rehman Malik be inquired

DUBAI/KARACHI: Former president Pervez Musharraf denied on Wednesday any involvement in the assassination of Pakistan People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto and said Rehman Malik should be inquired for stopping the cavalcade carrying the ex-premier.

Musharraf's denial comes after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in an interview to BBC, held the former military dictator personally responsible for the murder of his mother, Benazir Bhutto.

"Musharraf exploited this entire situation to assassinate my mother," Bilawal said. "He purposely sabotaged her security so that she would be assassinated and taken off the scene."

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Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, as she returned after addressing a mammoth rally at Liaquat Bagh.

Speaking exclusively to Geo News in Dubai, Musharraf said, "I am not the murderer; ask Rehman Malik why he stopped the cavalcade carrying Benazir Bhutto."

The former president also raised questions about the slain premier's mobile phone and post-mortem, which could have led to some clues about the high-profile assassination.

"Where is Benazir's [mobile] phone? Why was not post-mortem carried out?" he asked.

In what were taken by many as offensive and sexist remarks, Musharraf asked Bilawal to stop "chanting slogans like a woman, and become a man first." 

"I would like to tell Bilawal that these slogans lead to nowhere, what is the evidence for it?" he said. 

Musharraf went on to claim that the PPP leadership is afraid of him. "It only adds to my popularity when speeches are delivered against me at the rallies."