Murtaza Bhutto

DIFFERENT NEWS ITEMS RIGHT AFTER THE
INCIDENT
KARACHI SEP, 20 1996: The estranged brother of Prime Minster Benazir
Bhutto Mir Murtaza Bhutto was shot dead along with 6 other party activists
in a police encounter on Thursday night near his residence. Among the dead
was Aashiq Jatoi, the acting provincial chief of the PPP (SB). He was a brother
in- law of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. The injured list included six Party activists
of the Murtaza Bhutto and three policemen, including additional
Superintendent Police Saddar and two station house officers. Just before his
death Mir Murtaza Bhutto, 42 had slammed the government, warning it not
to arrest him without warrant. There would be trouble if the Police try to
arrest me without a warrant he had declared. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
rushed to the city when told about the encounter. Begum Nusrat mother of
Murtaza was in London.
As expected the version of the encounter given by the injured party activists
and the widely differed. The police earlier claimed that they reached the
residence of Murtaza Bhutto, 70 Clifton, at 8:30 pm, to arrest him.
The police men alleged that the security guards stationed at the house opened
fire, injuring several of them. The fire was returned by the police party, which
caused fatal injuries to the Prime Minister’s brother and his supporters.
Sources said after the incident Rangers again cordoned off the area and
searched the 70 Clifton. Murtaza was sought by the police on the charge of
inciting attacks on two CIA Centers on Tuesday where it was thought that
his party activist Ali Sunara was detained .
A Sindh government hand out issued late in the night said that Murtaza
Bhutto’s vehicle was allowed to proceed to his residence by the SHO Clifton
after it was stopped. The gunmen of Mir Murtaza Bhutto sitting on the
land cruiser vehicle resorted to indiscriminate firing injuring the ASP
Saddar, SHO Clifton and a person in a taxi on the spot Mir Murtaza
Bhutto’s gunmen sitting in his vehicle also started straight firing. The
police under the command of ASP Drakshan and ASP Saddar retaliated in
self-defence and after an encounter of 20 to 25 minutes, took control of the
situation.
Murtaza Bhutto; Copyright © www.bhutto.org
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