Held suspects admit plotting BB’s murder
Staff Report

RAWALPINDI—The arrested accused involved in the assassination former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, have confessed their crime and said that suicide bombers were still alive and around. According to details, their statements were recorded before the special judicial magistrate Chaudhry Taufeeq Ahmed on Wednesday under section 164 and accused Rafaqat and Hasnain who confessed that they were present at the time when Benazir Bhutto was targeted, have been sent to jail for judicial remand till Feb 27.
Sources told that on the identification of Aitzaz Shah and Sher Zaman, the arrested accused Rafaqat is the brother-in-law of Gull Hasnain, who received his education in Akora Khattak and then returned to Miranshah, where he remained in touch with Jamia Faridia and administration of Lal Masjid and decided to take revenge of Lal Masjid operation. The accused disclosed before the court that they visited the Liaqat Bagh on Dec 26 night along with Bilal and Akram, where one targeted Benazir Bhutto and committed suicide while other suicide bomber managed to escape from the venue and is alive.
Rafaqat told before court that he took six persons there by taxi while Bilal who was suicide bomber of Benazir Bhutto was kept in Rawalpindi. Sources further told that the accused in their confessional statement said that they are friends and residents of Rawalpindi, and both are student of seminary in Hazro and a teacher of that seminary convinced them about suicide attack.
They further told that teacher of said seminary visited them with Wali Muhammad in the seminary of Nowshehra and looted rupees six lakh from the bank of Hazro to meet the expenditure of the suicide mission. The accused further disclosed that the suicide bombers, Bilal alias Saeed and Ikram ullah , responsible of Liaqat Bagh incident reached on Dec 25 and stayed in Quaid-e-Azam colony.
Both Bilal and Ikram Ullah reached Liaqat Bagh early in the morning at 7:00 am on their bike. Bilal was the suicide bomber who blew himself in Liaqat Bagh, while Ikram Ullah remained safe and returned on the same day after which he was sent to South Waziristan.
Rafaqat and Hasnain also confessed their involvement in the suicide attacks of Qasim Market and Mujahid Picket Golf Road suicide attacks. The investigation team has also recovered suicide jacket and two bikes on the identification of the accused from the roof of a house.
Sources said that one of the brothers of Hasnain was student of Lal Masjid who died during the Lal Masjid operation. One of the expert included in the investigation team told BBC that both the accused have facilitated the alleged suicide bomber Muhammad Bilal for his task and paved the way for him to hit his target easily.
The police officer also claimed that the accused has also made several important disclosures and information, in the light of which police teams have been given task to apprehend the other accused of the network.