Invetsigations

Investigations

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PPP demands security plan on BB arrival
PPP rejects Shaikh Rashid remarks justifying October 18 attack

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On October 18, PPP's Traffic Incharge for the Chairperson's rally in Karachi and former Senator Masroor Ahsan and his team apprehended two armed men from the rally red-handed, who were trying to proceed towards Airport. They both were handed over to DSP Fayyaz there.

The news in this regard appeared in Daily Nawa-e-Waqt on October 19, 2007
alongwith their photographs in police mobile.

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday wrote a letter to the government to explain some mysterious and unexplained happenings before and after the October 18 attack on the party rally that killed more than 100 people and injured several hundred more.

The letter was signed by Rehman Malik, Security Adviser to the former Prime Minister and sent to the Interior Secretary on Wednesday.

“The leadership of the PPP and whole nation is utterly shocked and in search of answers to these questions”, the letter addressed to the Interior Secretary said.
Nearly three dozen questions, divided into two sub-sections pertaining to pre- blast and post blast have been raised in the PPP letter.

The party has demanded the blueprint of the security plan devised on the eve of Benazir Bhutto’s arrival and an answer to the questions whether the explosives used in the attack were of military or commercial.

The events before the blasts and about which questions have been raised in latter by the PPP are as follows:

1. What was the blueprint of the security plan agreed and executed?
2. How many police vehicles were designated and deployed around the truck carrying Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the party leadership?
3. Did any driver of these vehicles and any security personnel traveling in these vehicles changed the vehicles before the blast/explosions? If so, why were the duties of the drivers changed?
4. What was the position of these vehicles before the blast and which police vehicle was severely damaged and what is the analytical report on this vehicle?
5. Was the entire scene photographed and videotaped?
6. How many Jammers were commissioned on the day of incident and their locations before the blast? What was the make of the Jammers and their origin?
7. Why were these Jammers not functioning fully as the phones were operational from time to time?
8. Was the Senior Security Personnel/Incharge aware of the non-operation of the Jammers on the day of incident? If so, what action or security measures did they take to prevent any incident? Was this lapse/non-functioning of the Jammers brought to the notice of the higher authority, if so to whom? It was our great concern as to why this lapse was not attended?
9. How many security personnel/officers were detailed in uniform and in civilian clothes, respectively? Obviously the VIP protection is done in combination of uniformed force and without uniform as per security arrangements. As to how the security personnel in plain clothes failed to intercept the culprit/operator of the blast?
10. Were the security personnel aware of any marriage ceremony to be held in the evening of the rally and its proximity of the rally/route? If so, what precautionary measures were taken to prevent any explosive incident under the cover of the crackers noise? Did the investigation carry out so far indicated the celebration of any marriage ceremony in the vicinity and in proximity of the rally?
11 Why the streets lights were put off before the incident and what action was taken to resort the streetlights within the shortest possible time? Is there any TV footage as per claim of the GOP that the streetlights were on?
12. The footage indicates that a Suzuki Alto was found parked just behind the vehicle engulfed in flames after blast. In line with security measures, this vehicle must not have been allowed to remain parked there, which could have provided a cover to the perpetrators of the blast.

a) Why some one should leave the vehicle at the route where heavy procession was going on?
b) Who is the owner of the Alto car? What is its chassis and engine number ?
c) Why the Police Petrol did not remove it before the arrival of MBB motorcade?
d) Why some one should leave his vehicle exposed to risk of its change by the moving huge crowd?
e) Footage also show a Pajero/Landcruiser. What was its chassis and engine number and who did it belong to?
13. What precautions were introduced to prevent any remote controlled explosion on the day of incident and in the future as well? Was there any alternative Jammer?
14. Was a proper screening carried out of the credentials and professionalism of the security personnel deployed for the security of the rally and Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto? What was their religion and ethnic background?
15. What was the maximum and minimum length of service of these personnel? If any of them was recruited in the recent past, what was his background i.e. profession before joining the security forces? The internal reports of IB/ISI/MI may be of great help.
16. What are the reports of the Intelligence Personnel who were deputed to cover the procession?
17. Was an attempt made to handover a small child to Mohtarma on the truck through help of Police Mobile? Did this mobile blow up either while pushing the child/person carrying the child? Was the child thrown in the Police Mobile?
18. Do dismembered bodies of the Police mobile mean that an explosive was put into it or thrown into it when it blocked access to MBB Truck.

The PPP letter has identified the post incident events as under:

1. There were two explosions on one side at a distance of few meters around the motorcade. If it was suicidal explosion, as claimed by the authorities and the investigators, then how the terrorists could find their way to the proximity of the motorcade of Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto despite the alleged ‘fool-proof’ security arrangements?
2. It is reported in the press that RDX weighing about 14-15 kg was used in the explosion. Has the forensic and scientific examination identified it as commercial or military substance? What kind of explosive material was used? Has the type and make of detonator been found if so which origin?
3. The reports also suggest that the trajectory was directed away from the truck in a cone shape. The explosive experts suggest that the shrapnel-directions of the blast by RDX can be managed and fashioned according to the need but a suicidal bomber would have no control over the direction of the shrapnel. What the forensic experts associated with the investigation conclude on this point?
(a) What are the findings of the forensic examination of the vehicles damaged, especially the Suzuki ALTO, as a result of blast and the scene of occurrence? Has the ALTO car received inside or outward impact?
(b) What is the possibility if the suiciders (if it was suicider attack) were sitting already on the same Alto and used the said vehicle to transport himself/themselves and came out when the MBB truck moved nearby.
5. Did the forensic experts find any hidden jumping bomb and detonator/sleeves on the crime scene? If so, what were their make, model and origin?
6. If it were normal explosions, placed in the nearby-parked vehicle, as to why the security personnel did not remove this vehicle from the scene as a part of the security arrangements?
7. Did the DNA test identify the identity of the alleged suicidal bombers?
8.
(a) What forensic examination of the scene and all the vehicles involved has revealed as to the cause and nature of the explosion? A copy of the said report/result would be appreciated.
(b) How many the eye has recorded statements witnesses. A summary of their statements would much be appreciated.
9. What forensic and scientific facilities are available in the country and what is the degree of their reliability? A complete forensic and scientific analysis of the scene is required and we expect this needs to be made public.
10. Is there any independent evidence to conclude that it was a suicidal incident or it is being merely based on the non-existence of any crater on the ground?
11. A friendly country had warned the Government of Pakistan along with the contacts and telephone numbers in Pakistan about the possible terrorist incident. Did the Government of Pakistan make any investigation in the matter on the basis of the information/intelligence lead provided and what is the result of the probe? Similarly, has the said report been made a part of the investigation?
12. We understand that the Crime scene was not preserved properly and obviously the valuable and evidential material must have been lost without have come on record.
13. As you can see these are quite basic questions to firstly establish the reliability of the security arrangements made for the day and secondly to follow the course of investigation as it develops over the days. We are quite confident to conclude that had the security arrangements made appropriately and the identification and arrest of the culprits as per the report of friendly country, such an incident could not have happened. There were, of course, serious lapses in the arrangements as pointed out above.
14. The following senior leadership of the PPP was present in the truck besides Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto:-

(1) Makhdoom Amin Faheem
(2) Aftab Shaban Mirani
(3) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
(4) Senator Safdar Abbasi
(5) Ms. Naheed Khan
(6) Dr. A. Rehman Malik
(7) Sen. Jehangir Badr
(8) Ambassador Abida Hussain
(9) Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi & son.
(10) Christina Lamb
(11) Victoria Schofreld.
(12) Mrs. Crawford.
(13) Mr. Alexander Khan
(14) Mrs. Hakim Ali Zardari.
(15) Murad Ali Shah
(16) Guards
(17) Razaak
(18) Makhdoom Yousaf Raza Gillani
(19) Ms. Sherry Rahman
(20) Akram Baloach
(21) Khalid Shahanshah
(22) Ms. Fehmida Mirza

15. In addition to above Ms. Christina Lamb, the Journalist from Daily Telegraph was also one of the victims and eyewitness of the incident. No body has approached them so far, for their statement. There are serious objections, which have been raised on the second FIR lodged by PPP, but there is a Ruling of Supreme Court of Pakistan whereby the second FIR can be lodged with a different aspect of the matter. In reality it is the right of the victim to lodge a FIR and not the STATE. In this case PPP has lodged the FIR with new aspect and being the victim of the said attack.
16. We hope that our observations may be helpful to you in tracing the culprits. In view of our strong observations we still feel that foreign experts on forensic can analyze the incident more scientifically to provide a speedy road map to conclude the investigation to the satisfaction of the people of Pakistan.

Islamabad October 24, 2007: The Pakistan Peoples Party has rejected the Federal Railways Minister's statement justifying the October 18 attack on the innocent PPP workers.

Shaikh Rashid said in Karachi that the attack on PPP rally was because the PPP was following 'an imperialistic agenda'. By this he meant that PPP was against terrorists who benefited from dictatorship.

In a statement today PPP leader raja Pervez Ashraf said that Shaikh Rashid had served in two military dictatorships which had given the nation the klashinkov culture and suicide bombers and made miserable the life of working classes, middle classes, old, young women and the minorities miserable.

The PPP leader said that the Party's agenda was to serve the masses by saving democracy. Fighting for peace and democracy was apro-Islam and pro- democracy agenda, he said.

The PPP leader noted that the international community had supported both the dictatorships of Zia and Musharraf yet Shaikh Rashid had never justified suicide attacks on its cabinet members on the ground that these were 'imperialist backed policies'.

Now that the international community was supporting democracy in Afghanistan and fair elections in Pakistan Sheikh Rashid was suddenly justifying suicide attacks. He said that terrorism acts are criminal and cannot be justified.

The PPP supported moderates within the PML Q but asked General Musharraf
to be cautious of those in the cabinet who had defended suicide attacks and were now trying to justify terrorist attacks of Oct 18. He said that such elements who justified suicide attacks and act of terrorism were facilitating an anti people, anti democracy and anti Islamic agenda to exploit the people but they could not succeed because the people of Pakistan would defeat them.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Shaikh Rashid's remarks were a perverted logic as it amounted to saying that anyone opposing militancy will be faced with such attacks in the future as well.