Murtaza Bhutto

MURTAZA BHUTTO TRIBUNAL
BHATTI TESTIFIES BEFORE MIR CASE TRIBUNAL
KARACHI, Feb 15: Former Prime Minister Ms. Benazir Bhutto during her
first tenure in 1988, had forewarned her younger brother in exile late Mir
Murtaza Bhutto not to return to Pakistan.
This was stated by Ehasanulhaq Bhatti, one-time companion of late Mir
Murtaza during his exile abroad, while recording his statement before the 3member
enquiry tribunal in connection with the murder by police firing of
late Mir Murtaza and his seven close associates.
He was produced by the advocates representing the aggrieved party to throw
light on the alleged conspiracy hatched among others by Asif Ali Zardari,
and Syed Abdullah Shah, for the elimination of late Mir Murtaza and his
party. He said, that he always remained with late Mir Murtaza during the
period of his exile. When Ms. Benazir Bhutto came to power in 1988, late Mir
Murtaza decided to return to Pakistan, he was, however prevented from
returning to Pakistan by Ms. Benazir Bhutto and as such, he dropped the
idea. In 1993, he said, he along with Mir Murtaza returned to Pakistan by a
plane provided by the Syrian president.
The plane was not allowed to land at the Karachi international airport and
was diverted to Dubai. Late Mir Murtaza and himself wanted to come to
Karachi by the PIA flight but were refused tickets or boarding the PIA flight.
Mir Murtaza and himself then flew to Karachi by Eithiopian airlines and they
both were arrested by a large number of police, rangers and army personnel.
At the airport, Begum Nusrat Bhutto was present. The police did not show to
late Mir Murtaza any arrest warrant when he asked for it.
They were then taken to the Landhi jail. The witness said that after about 2
hours, he was taken to the 70 Clifton and told that there was no case against
him. It was in the early hours of November 4, 1993. Late Mir Murtaza was
however, informed that he was involved in some criminal cases. He was later
produced before the special court which remanded him to the police custody.
After two days of late Mir Murtaza's arrest, he was produced before the
Sindh Assembly where he took oath of his office as the elected member of the
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