Pak forms probe team to see if Benazir murder plot was hatched in Brigadier’s house

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government has set up a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising three officials of the police, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate media reports that the plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had been hatched in a brigadier’s house.

The JIT has been asked present its report in a week, the Dawn reports.

According to its terms of reference, the team will investigate the veracity of the claim made in the report, examine the authenticity of sources and unravel the characters involved.

Some reports quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as indicating that if needed, a judicial commission could also be appointed to investigate the matter, but a handout issued later said he had refused to comment on the issue because the matter was sub judice and that he had been misquoted.

Commenting on the assassination inquiry report, Malik said it is yet to be made public, and that it would be presented soon to the Central Executive Council of the Pakistan People’s Party.

“The future course of action will be considered only after its presentation to the CEC,” Malik added.

On Friday, talking to media persons at Karachi Airport, Malik said the news that a plot to assassinate Benazir Bhutto was hatched at a Brigadier’s House was baseless, and that such plotting were made at terrorists’ houses.

He had also said the media should refrain from putting out news that spread wrong impression. (ANI)